Haisborough Sands
Encyclopedia
Haisborough Sands is a sandbank off the coast of Norfolk, England at Happisburgh
. The shoal
is 10 miles (16.1 km) long and 1 miles (1.6 km) wide and lies parallel to the North east coast of Norfolk. The shoal is marked to the north-west by north by the Haisbro Light Buoy
, North cardinal
. To the south-east by south is a light buoy South cardinal
, and to the west by Mid Haisbro light buoy starboard hand. In 1995 there were three drying patches recorded to the north-north east and east-south east of the Mid Haisbro light buoy. Except at slack water
their positions are indicated by tidal eddies
and in slight or moderate seas the swell breaks on the shallower parts of the banks. There are a number of foul patches on the southern part of the shoal. There are very strong eddies on and around the bank especially on the north west. Over the years this shoal has claimed many ships.
s Ammodytes, Lemon soul
Microstormus Kitt and sole
Solea solea. The sands also provide nursery grounds for Cod
Gadus morhua, Herring
Clupea harengus, Mackerel
Scomber scombrus, Sole, Lemon sole and Plaice
Pleuronectes platessa. There are small numbers of Harbour porpoise
regularly observed within the boundaries of the sands. The common seals Phoca vitulina which are resident in the Wash are occasionally observed in this area.
Happisburgh
Happisburgh is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated off the B1159 coast road from Ingham to Bacton.The civil parish has an area of , although this is declining due to cliff erosion. In the 2001 census, before the creation of Walcott parish, it had a...
. The shoal
Shoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
is 10 miles (16.1 km) long and 1 miles (1.6 km) wide and lies parallel to the North east coast of Norfolk. The shoal is marked to the north-west by north by the Haisbro Light Buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
, North cardinal
North
North is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.North is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the top side of a map is north....
. To the south-east by south is a light buoy South cardinal
South
South is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.South is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the bottom side of a map is south....
, and to the west by Mid Haisbro light buoy starboard hand. In 1995 there were three drying patches recorded to the north-north east and east-south east of the Mid Haisbro light buoy. Except at slack water
Slack water
Slack water, which used to be known as 'The stand of the tide', is a short period in a body of tidal water either side of high water or low water essentially when the water is completely unstressed, and therefore with no rise or fall of the tide and no movement either way in the tidal stream, and...
their positions are indicated by tidal eddies
Eddy (fluid dynamics)
In fluid dynamics, an eddy is the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle. The moving fluid creates a space devoid of downstream-flowing fluid on the downstream side of the object...
and in slight or moderate seas the swell breaks on the shallower parts of the banks. There are a number of foul patches on the southern part of the shoal. There are very strong eddies on and around the bank especially on the north west. Over the years this shoal has claimed many ships.
Description
The main ridge of the shoal is made up of five distinct areas. These are named Haisborough Sand, Haisborough Tail, Hammond Knoll, Winterton Ridge and Hearty Knoll. To the eastern edge of the sands there are areas called Hewett Ridge and Smiths Knoll which form a ridge of sandbanks on the outer boundary of the sands. Inshore and to the west there are additional banks including Winterton Shoal and the Newarp Banks.Fish and mammals
Haisborough Sands and its surrounding shoals are known to be spawning grounds for Sand eelSand Eel
Sand eel or sandeel is the common name used for a considerable number of species of fish. Most of them are sea fish of the genera Hyperoplus , Gymnammodytes or Ammodytes...
s Ammodytes, Lemon soul
Lemon sole
The lemon sole, Microstomus kitt, is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is native to shallow seas around Northern Europe, where it lives on stony bottoms down to depths of about . It grows up to in length and reaches about in weight....
Microstormus Kitt and sole
Common sole
The common sole, Dover sole, or black sole, Solea solea, is a species of flatfish in the Soleidae family.It has a preference for relatively shallow water with sand or mud covering the bottom....
Solea solea. The sands also provide nursery grounds for Cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
Gadus morhua, Herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
Clupea harengus, Mackerel
Mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
Scomber scombrus, Sole, Lemon sole and Plaice
Plaice
Plaice is the common name of four species of flatfishes.Plaice or PLAICE may also refer to:* USS Plaice , a Balao-class submarine* PLAICE, an open source hardware FLASH programmer, memory emulator, and logic analyzer...
Pleuronectes platessa. There are small numbers of Harbour porpoise
Harbour Porpoise
The harbour porpoise is one of six species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest marine mammals. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries, and as such, is the most familiar porpoise to whale watchers. This porpoise often ventures up rivers, and has been seen...
regularly observed within the boundaries of the sands. The common seals Phoca vitulina which are resident in the Wash are occasionally observed in this area.
Ships wrecked on Haisborough Sands
Some of the ships wrecked here include:- SS Chicago - 1878
- Barque Brownrigg on the 12 August 1888
- SS Cambria after a collision with SS Killingworth on the 14 May 1891
- Optima ex Placilla - 18 January 1905
- SS Atbara of LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on the 11 February 1907 - Steamer - 1907
- Barque Alf of Laurvig, NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
on the 23 November 1909 - SS Bodil of EsbjergEsbjergEsbjerg Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. Its mayor is Johnny Søtrup, from the Venstre political party...
on the 26 May 1915 - SS Camille on the 6 January 1916
- SS Kronprindsesse Victoria of HaugesundHaugesundis a town and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.-Location:Haugesund was separated from Torvastad as a town and municipality of its own in 1855. The rural municipality of Skåre was merged with Haugesund on January 1, 1958. Haugesund is a small municipality, only 73 km²...
, Norway. 26. november 1917 - SS GeorgiaSS GeorgiaSS Georgia was an oil tanker lost at Haisborough Sands off the coast of Norfolk, England in November 1927.-History:The ship began as hull No. 82 in the shipyard of the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia in the United States of America. She was ordered in 1907 by...
- 1927 - SS Monte NevosoSS Monte NevosoSS Monte Nevoso was a Merchant vessel which became stranded before becoming a total wreck off the coast of Norfolk, England at Haisbro Sands in between the 14 and 16 October 1932.-History:...
during the 14 to 16 October 1932 - SS MerionesSS MerionesSS Meriones was a Merchant vessel from Liverpool which became stranded and then Wrecked on Haisbro Sands of the Norfolk coast between the 25th and 26 January 1941 during the Second World War.-History:...
26 January 1941 - SS GalloisSS GalloisSS Gallois of Rouen, France, was one of Seven Merchant vessel which became stranded and then Wrecked on Haisbro Sands of the Norfolk coast on the 6th August 1941 during the Second World War...
part of Convoy FS 559 on the 6 August 1941 - SS Oxshott of LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
part of Convoy FS 559 on the 6 August 1941 - SS Aberhill of MethilMethilMethil is an eastern coastal town in Scotland. It was part of the former Burgh of Buckhaven and Methil. It lies within a continuous urban area described as Levenmouth.Methil lies geographically between Largo bay to the east and Wemyss Bay to the west....
, FifeFifeFife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
part of Convoy FS 559 on the 6 August 1941 - SS Taara of PärnuPärnuPärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
, EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
part of Convoy FS 559 on the 6 August 1941 - SS Paddy Hendly on her maiden voyage part of Convoy FS 559 on the 6 August 1941
- SS Deerwood of LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
part of Convoy FS 559 on the 6 August 1941 - SS Betty Hindley part of Convoy FS 559 on the 6 August 1941
- SS Afon Towy on the 6 August 1941
- HM Trawler AgateHM Trawler Agate (1935)HM Trawler Agate was purchased by the Royal Navy in 1935. She was modified from a trawler to be used to carry out anti-submarine work. In 1941 she was with the maintenance reserve at Rosyth, but in August was part of the Royal Navy’s escort flotilla with convoy FS559 when she ran aground, becoming...
(referred to as T87 by the Admiralty) part of Convoy FS 559 on the 6 August 1941 - Trawler MV Cuttlefish - 1981
- City of Sunderland - 2008