Record Details

NHER Number:64561
Type of record:Negative evidence
Name:Hunstanton Esker Geological Site

Summary

The Hunstanton Park esker is a glaciofluvial landform which consists of a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel extending for approximately 1.5km. It is believed to be of Devensian age and has been desigated of scientific interest as it is a good example of this landform, the landform is relatively uncommon in central and southern England, and it is the only example of Devensian age within the area. The esker has been added to the HER as it is a prominent landform which is clearly visible within LiDAR imagery and can easily be mistaken to be of manmade origin.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 6959 4094
Map Sheet:TF64SE
Parish:OLD HUNSTANTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

December 1990. Designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Name: Hunstanton Park Esker
An esker is a geological formation which consists of a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel often extending for several kilometers. They usually occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions Eurpoe and North America and are generally believed to have been formed either by streams which flowed within and under glaciers, creating ice-walled tunnels that upon melting left stream deposits in the form of long winding ridges, or by accumulation of sediment in features such as supraglacial channels and crevasses.
The Hunstanton Park esker extends for a length of approximately 1.5km, from Hunstanton Hall (NHER 1117) to the edge of Hunstantion Park (NHER 30464), just north of the Ringstead Downs. It is believed to be of Devensian age and has been desigated of scientific interest as it is a good example of this landform, the landform is relatively uncommon in central and southern England, and it is the only example of Devensian age within the area.
The esker has been added to the HER as it is a prominent landform which is clearly visible within LiDAR imagery (S3) [1] and can easily be mistaken to be of manmade origin.
Information from wikipedia website (S1) and Site of Special Scientific Interest description (S2).
H. Hamilton (HES), 5 January 2020.

Monument Types

  • GEOLOGICAL MARKS (Unknown date)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

<S1>Website: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. ?-2020. Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page. 26 May 2020. Esker / Hunstanton Park Esker [Accessed 05-JAN-2021].
<S2>Website: Natural England. Natural England Designated Sites. https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteSearch.aspx. 05/01/2021. SSSI - Hunstanton Park Esker.
<S3>LIDAR Airborne Survey: Various. LIDAR Airborne Survey. National Lidar Survey Visualisation, Sophit Tremlett, 04-JSN-2021.

Related records

30464Part of: Hunstanton Park (Designed Landscape)
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