Around The Coast Of Britain

The coastline of the United Kingdom is formed by a variety of natural features including islands, bays, headlands and peninsulas. It consists of the coastline of the island of Great Britain, the north-east coast of the island of Ireland, as well as a large number of much smaller islands. Much of the coastline is accessible and quite varied in geography and habitats. Large stretches have been designated areas of natural beauty. The course will look at the geological background to many of our coastlines, the physical geographical processes operating and the social and historical context of many of the UK's tourist resorts.

Week 1 The Jurassic Coast

The site is a 95 mile stretch of the south coast from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland in Dorset. A World Heritage site. A look at the geological background, fossil hunting, geological formations, Chesil beach and the major tourist attractions such as Lulworth Cove, Exmouth. Sidmouth in the west to Bournemouth in the east.

Week 2 The North Norfolk Coast

A look at the stretch of coastline from the Wash to Great Yarmouth. Investigating the link to the last Ice Age, Coastal erosion of the clay cliff line, the effect of the 1953 North Sea Flood, and tourist attractions of Hunstanton, Cromer, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth.

Week 3  The North and East Coast of Yorkshire

An investigation of the stretch of coastline from Whitby and Scarborough in the North to the Humber estuary in the south. The lesson will look at aspects of coastal erosion and deposition and the many disappearing villages as well as the famous Spurn Head point spit.

Week 4  Antrim Coastline N Ireland

A classic geological spectacle and World Heritage site, Giant's Causeway, an investigation of how this igneous feature formed, its significance as a tourist attraction. Other places of interest The Gobbins, Magilligan Point, Cities of Belfast and Derry.

Week 5  The Fylde Coast.

The Fylde Coast is a coastal plain in West Lancs bounded by Morecambe Bay, the Ribble estuary to the south and the Irish Sea to the west. The importance of sand dunes, their formation and coastal protection. Tourist attractions of Southport, Blackpool and Lytham St Annes.

Week 6  The North Cornish Coast

Exposure to westerly storms and pounding surf has given rise to the famously dramatic scenery of Cornwall's north coast, a landscape with arches and sea caves carved and sculpted by the sea, and made all the more exciting by the numerous tales of smuggling and wrecking that abound in her coves and caves.  A look at Newquay and St Agnes.

Week 7 The Thames Estuary

The Thames Estuary is the estuary in which the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea. This estuary is of major significance for the port of London and we will look at the Thames Flood Barrier and sea-level rise, Canvey Island as well as the Kent/ Essex straight.

Week 8 Kent and East Sussex Coast

Although the southeast corner of the UK coastline is not quite so popular as the rest of the south coast it still attracts a great many visitors. Many of these are heading out to Europe via the Channel ports of Dover and Folkestone to France and the rest of Europe. However, the area has its own attractions chalk cliffs and Seven Sisters.

Week 9  Northumberland Coast

In the far north eastern part of England from Berwick to Holy Island, Bamburgh beach, to Seahouses and the nature reserve of the Farne Isles. This coastline has plenty of tourist attractions to investigate.

Week 10 The Pembrokeshire Coast. The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path and the Pembrokeshire National Park. Tenby, Milford Haven, and Castlemartin.

Week 11 The Channel Islands. Jersey, Guernsey, Sark and Herne. The geology and the historical aspect of the Second World War.

Week 12 The future of the British Coastline

What will be the effects of climate change, and could the coast of the country's powerhouse, with wind turbines dominating the skyline? What measures are we taking to protect the creatures that live in our waters? And just how much of our coastline is actually open to the public?