On the 13 and 14 of October Year 12 and Year 13 A level Geography students participated in a residential field trip to the Holderness coastline and Hull. Year 12 students were getting their first taste of fieldwork and tried out lots of different surveys, observations and equipment to better understand our topics of coastal landscapes and diverse places. Year 13 students were collecting data for their individual coursework projects and so were working more independently in small groups.

Holderness is Europe’s fastest eroding coastline so we went to 3 different locations - Hornsea, Mappleton and Aldbrough - to collect data about why this is happening and how it’s being managed. This included doing groyne measurements, wave counts, beach profiles, looking at sediment size, and the “orange test” (where we tested longshore drift). In Aldbrough we visited a site where erosion has taken the main village road, which demonstrated the effect of erosion is having on coastal communities.

The next day we visited Hull to investigate a range of topics including deprivation, ethnic identity, regeneration projects and the legacy of the City of Culture.

Students enjoyed the trip as it really helped bring to life the places we had studied in the classroom.

Lucy in Year 13 said “I really appreciated having the opportunity to carry out some practical, hands-on fieldwork especially following the disruption caused by the pandemic. I also enjoyed spending time with other geographers who share the same interests as me.” Amy added “I have chosen to write my NEA on how achieving UK City of Culture status in 2017 has impacted Hull and people’s perception of place. On the second day of the trip I spent time gathering my own data which involved carrying out environment quality surveys and land use surveys, as well as asking members of the public to fill out a questionnaire on their perception of the area.” Kate said that “Going to Hull and Hornsea on the Geography fieldtrip allowed me to see the theories we had learnt at school in reality. I could experience a new place and enjoyed collecting with beach profiles and groyne measurements on the Holderness coast. Another highlight for everyone was the carvery on Thursday night!” Heather concurred "I loved being able to see geography in person, it was eye opening when we visited Mappleton to see how much of an impact the coastal management had made to their local landscape. Everyone enjoyed being able to go on a residential trip again, especially being able to go out for a meal in the evening!

Miss S Chant

Geography Department