Beast Cliff
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Beast Cliff is a steep sea cliff on the coast of Yorkshire, in the North Riding, found about halfway between Whitby and Scarborough. Beast Cliff is at the southern end of a coastal region designated as a Special Area of Conservation and Site of Special Scientific Interest. Bordering the eastern edge of the North York Moors national park, the Cleveland Way runs at the head of the cliffs.
The cliff has a unique cartographocal distinction: in the Ordnance Survey National Grid system, Beast Cliff is mostly in the one-kilometre grid square TA0099, but at its northern end it extends into 'OV'. That point is the only area of land in the United Kingdom with any 'O' prefix.
Description
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Beast Cliff is formed from rocks of Jurassic sandstone and shale and is highly vegetated with a wide variety of flora. Scrub and woodland grow on a moderately sloping intermediate plateau part way down the main cliff.[1] This plateau separates lower and upper steeper cliffs. The undercliff is some 148 feet high and it consists of two steep slopes with a near-vertical face in between which varies in height around about 16 feet. The 246-foot upper cliff slopes at about 45°. The total height of the cliff is about 525 feet.[2]
The cliffs are geologically unstable and frequent landslides intrude upon the woodland, which is therefore constantly renewed with young trees. Mosses and ferns cover sandstone boulders. The woodland is flourishing with juvenile ash and birch growing through a lush understorey, and with alder and willow near pools of water.[3]
The Cleveland Way long distance footpath follows along at the head of the cliffs.[4] At one time animals were lowered on ropes to the intermediate plateau for grazing.[5][6]
The whole stretch of coast between Maw Wyke and Beast Cliff around Robin Hood's Bay is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest with an area of 902 acres. Beast Cliff itself, at the southern end of this area, is regarded as nationally important for its coastal and woodland vegetation.[7] Part of the area is also designated as a 655-acre Special Area of Conservation, "Beast Cliff–Whitby (Robin Hood's Bay)".
On 10 February 1923, the Grimsby steam trawler FV Premier, wrecked after running aground and the lifeboat from Robin Hood's Bay rescued all nine crew. Later the fishing vessel broke up in heavy seas at the foot of Beast Cliff.[8][9]
The point at OV0000
Beast Cliff has a unique cartographocal distinction: in the Ordnance Survey National Grid system, the cliff is mostly in the one-kilometre grid square TA0099, but at its northern end it extends into 'OV'. That point is the only area of land in the entire 100-kilometre national grid square of OV, and indeed with any 'O' prefix. The 500-kilometre square with the prefix letter O, which is otherwise occupied by the North Sea (and a small part of Norway, if the grid is extended).[6]
Only the southwestern corner of OV0000, that is to say OV000000 and OV000001, are occupied by land – there are only some one and a quarter acres of foreshore, with far less above high tide at the very foot of the cliff.[10]
Location
- Location map: 54°22’50"N, 0°27’34"W
References
- ↑ Fortey, Richard A. (2010). The Hidden Landscape: A Journey Into the Geological Past. Random House. pp. 169–170. ISBN 9781847920713.
- ↑ Earnshaw, John (2006). "Beast Cliff & OV00, April 2006.". The Official Journal of the Worked All Britain Awards Group (125): 24–27. http://wab.intermip.net/Newsletter/Newsletter%20Issue%20125.pdf. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ↑ Fisher, Mark (9 June 2011). "Rare and precious - words devalued by the conservation industry". http://www.self-willed-land.org.uk/articles/rare_precious.htm. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ↑ Robinson, Maureen (22 September 2017). "Walks: Ravenscar-Cider Track-War Dike Lane-Cleveland Way-Beast Cliff" (in en). www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk. https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/lifestyle/walks-ravenscar-cider-track-war-dike-lane-cleveland-way-beast-cliff-1-8764954. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ↑ Doody, J. Pat (2001). Coastal Conservation and Management: An Ecological Perspective. Kluwer Academic Publishers. p. 48. ISBN 0-412-59470-6.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Standing, Peter (September 2006). "OV0000 – a unique grid square at Beast Cliff". http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/In-Search-of-OV0000. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ↑ SSSI listing and designation for Robin Hood's Bay: Maw Wyke to Beast Cliff
- ↑ Racey, Carl. "Wrecksite - Premier Trawler 1908-1923". https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?156272. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ↑ Standing, Peter (2 August 2006). "Geograph:: Shipwreck at OV (C) Peter Standing" (in en). https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/213638. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ↑ Strugnell, Peter (7 December 2005). "OV0000: near to Staintondale, North Yorkshire" (in en). https://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?action=vthread&topic=1564. Retrieved 5 June 2019.