AS Geography Trip to the Holderness Coast

The aim of the geography field trip was to, of course, build on the success of last year’s trip, and to offer preparation for the upcoming exam in May. The main task was to visit the Holderness coast and assess the effects of tourism. the problems considered were then need for rebranding; the effects of cliff erosion; and the management strategies necessary.

Friday

We turned up outside the school gates at around 6:00 am ready to set off at 6:20 am. We loaded the coach with our bags and boarded it. After a quicker than expected journey up to the Holderness Coast, we arrived at the Cranedale Centre, a converted farm set in a quaint country landscape.

Our lunch was already waiting, which we ate after settling into our rooms. We didn’t stay for long. We split into two groups, boarded the mini buses and set out for the Bridlington sand dunes. Initially we completed a risk assessment, outlining the various hazards in the area such as the sea and the possibility of sun burn. The day’s topic was fragile ecosystems, which involved the impacts of development on the ecosystem such as litter and foot erosion. We were set various experiments that involved us collecting data in order to prove or disprove a hypothesis. The experiments included using a clinometer and a tape measure to assess the succession of the sand dunes, as well as assessing local vegetation and the effect of foot erosion and litter in a localised area, using a quadrat to reduce the effects of subjective/bias data.

Once satisfied, we set off for the Cranedale Centre, where a three course dinner was served at 6:15 pm.

Of course, we had to sum up the day’s activities; this involved an hour’s lesson. The results of the investigations were recorded in different presentational ways such as graphs. After, we did have free time to spend in the common room up until around 10:30, when we were required to be back in our rooms, lights out at 11:00.

Saturday

This day was all about visiting different locations along the Holderness coast, such as Hornsea, Mappleton, Skipsea and Ulrome. We had to investigate the effects of coastal erosion in the area, but, more significantly, the benefits and drawbacks of the various methods of coastal protection along the coast. This involved assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the £2 million sea wall in Hornsea, as well as the rip rap in Mappleton. Was it worth it?

We started the day in the classroom, where we prepared our investigations, finding out the general geography of each location and what the likely risks were in that area. We also looked at various past exam questions, which others have faced in the exam. The fieldwork exercises helped us to collect information so that the exam questions could be answered accurately.

The fieldwork exercises involved recording the angle of the beach as well as the dominant particle size of sediment either side (north and south) of the groynes at  Hornsea, and comparing both sets of results to investigate the effects of longshore drift on the Holderness coast. We used the Chi-squared technique, which involves comparing your observed data with the expected data, to allow us to assess whether our hypothesis was correct, whether there was no correlation, or whether there was a null hypothesis, (where the information collected is not significant in relation to the hypothesis).

Sunday

Sunday was a sunny. Our topic of study was crowded coasts and coastal rebranding.  Our aim was to investigate why coastal zones were favoured for development and to understand how coastal developments can create competition and conflict. We started the day, preparing for the excursion to Bridlington in the classroom, where we received an insight into the history of Bridlington, (eg the first hotel was built in 1805) and to assess where we think Bridlington lies on the Butler model, something learnt in GCSE geography.

We set off for Bridlington, where we worked in pairs. The first experiment was a  pedestrian count, with one pair counting up to 101 people in one area of the town. We also had to assess the age of buildings, in order to investigate the level of development in the local area.

In the evening class GIS (Geography Information System) was explained. This system uses electronic maps to show the usage of buildings in an area over time, as well as how an area has developed. This allowed us to visually display the data collected during the day to assess whether rebranding in Bridlington was successful or not.

Monday

Unfortunately, this was our last day, but there was still work to be done. We had an early start. The focus for the day was about rural rebranding, our destination was Dalby Forest, renowned for its natural beauty, it’s extensive mountain biking routes, as well as the ever popular Go Ape. Our role was to assess what efforts have been made to rebrand Dalby Forest in such a way that would increase tourism in the area. To do this we used various fieldwork techniques. We had to identify various features of rebranding in the area, including identifying the features of the £2.6 million visitor centre, such as the local sourcing of timber for building materials.

We also had to investigate what type of tourists that the rebranding efforts were targettng, we concluded that due to the extreme sport activities and Go Ape on offer, Dalby Forest was trying to attract families and well as empty nesters (parents whose children have left home). We assessed where the tourists had come from by looking at their car number plates. Also, we identified any features of the car that could possible tell us why they had visited, features such as bike racks as well as children’s car seats.

After, we had lunch at the Cranedale Centre and said our final goodbyes to the Cranedale staff.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip, not only for a weekend away, but imporantly, for the chance to experience and conduct the fieldwork techniques we learn so much about in our geography lessons. The trip has been a huge benefit for our second geography exam: where 30 marks are for fieldwork study. On behalf of the 37 students who went on the trip, I thank the geography staff for organising the fieldwork weekend. We now feel much more prepared and confident about the examination. Learning accompanied with enjoyment is the best way to retain vital information, we’ve discovered.

Alex Elliott

[pe2-gallery album=”http://picasaweb.google.com/data/feed/base/user/100294344569967935324/albumid/6262660187441619441?alt=rss&hl=en_US&kind=photo” ]