Erosion is a serious problem at Howick. The violent nature of the North Sea, with its frequent storms, has led to the erosion of a large portion of the coast. This process is ongoing, and is particularly acute on the Northumberland coast. In living memory, over six feet of the coast was lost, including a trackway that was built in the nineteenth century. The site at Howick was, however, discovered because of this erosion, as it revealed flint in the cliff edge. There is no way of knowing how much of the coast has been lost, but it is suspected that the rocky foreshore area exposed at low-tide was probably land when the Mesolithic hut at Howick was occupied.

BACK TO MAIN PAGE