Druridge Bay
Encyclopedia
Druridge Bay is a 7 miles (11.3 km) long coastal bay
in Northumberland
, England, stretching from Amble
in the north to Cresswell
in the south.
Northumberland Coast Country Park is situated within the bay, and part of the bay (the section near the village of Druridge, in the centre of the bay) is owned by the National Trust
. Areas within the bay are set aside as nature reserve
s.
During the Second World War
defences were constructed around Druridge Bay as a part of British anti-invasion preparations of World War II
. The defences included scaffolding barriers
and anti-tank blocks overlooked by pillboxes
and behind these were minefields and an anti-tank ditch.
The bay was the focus of a long-running campaign against a proposal to construct a Pressurised Water Reactor
nuclear power
station during the 1980s and the large scale extraction of sand from the area in the 1990s. The campaign, along with changes in UK Government policy on nuclear power, prevented the power station from being built, and the plan was shelved for the time being in 1989. Northumberland Wildlife Trust
are presently negotiating with landowners RMC Group to purchase the site, which is known for population of birds including the Golden Plover
and the Purple Sandpiper
.
The land was retained by Nuclear Electric and in February 1996 was allocated to the NDA/BNFL .
In November 1996 the NDA/BNFL sold the land to farmers.
Druridge Bay is best known to birdwatchers for hosting, in 1998, the Druridge Bay curlew, a controversial bird which was eventually accepted as the first record of Slender-billed Curlew
for Britain, although this identification is still disputed by some.
Headlands and bays
Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England, stretching from Amble
Amble
Amble is a town, civil parish and seaport on the North Sea coast, in Northumberland, England. It lies at the mouth of the River Coquet, and the nearby Coquet Island is clearly visible from its beaches and harbour. The civil parish, which has town status, is called Amble by the Sea, and has a...
in the north to Cresswell
Cresswell, Northumberland
Cresswell is a village in Northumberland, England. It is about to the north of Ashington, on the North Sea coast.It is a popular bird watching area with Cresswell pond and bird hide nearby and the Druridge Bay Country Park less than away....
in the south.
Northumberland Coast Country Park is situated within the bay, and part of the bay (the section near the village of Druridge, in the centre of the bay) is owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. Areas within the bay are set aside as nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
s.
During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
defences were constructed around Druridge Bay as a part of British anti-invasion preparations of World War II
British anti-invasion preparations of World War II
British anti-invasion preparations of the Second World War entailed a large-scale division of military and civilian mobilisation in response to the threat of invasion by German armed forces in 1940 and 1941. The British army needed to recover from the defeat of the British Expeditionary Force in...
. The defences included scaffolding barriers
Admiralty scaffolding
Admiralty scaffolding, also known as Obstacle Z.1 or sometimes simply given as beach scaffolding or anti-tank scaffolding, was a British design of anti-tank and anti-boat obstacle made of tubular steel. It was widely deployed on beaches of southern England, eastern England and the south western...
and anti-tank blocks overlooked by pillboxes
British hardened field defences of World War II
British hardened field defences of World War II were small fortified structures constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations. They were popularly known as pillboxes by reference to their shape.-Design and development:...
and behind these were minefields and an anti-tank ditch.
The bay was the focus of a long-running campaign against a proposal to construct a Pressurised Water Reactor
Pressurized water reactor
Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...
nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
station during the 1980s and the large scale extraction of sand from the area in the 1990s. The campaign, along with changes in UK Government policy on nuclear power, prevented the power station from being built, and the plan was shelved for the time being in 1989. Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Northumberland Wildlife Trust was established in 1971 to help conserve and protect the wildlife of Northumberland, Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside in the UK...
are presently negotiating with landowners RMC Group to purchase the site, which is known for population of birds including the Golden Plover
Golden Plover
There are three species of wading birds in the plover family called Golden Plover. They are* Eurasian Golden Plover, Pluvialis apricaria* Pacific Golden Plover, Pluvialis fulva* American Golden Plover, Pluvialis dominica...
and the Purple Sandpiper
Purple Sandpiper
The Purple Sandpiper, Calidris, Arquatella or Erolia maritima is a small shorebird.Adults have short yellow legs and a medium thin dark bill with a yellow base. The body is dark on top with a slight purplish gloss and mainly white underneath. The breast is smeared with grey and the rump is black...
.
The land was retained by Nuclear Electric and in February 1996 was allocated to the NDA/BNFL .
In November 1996 the NDA/BNFL sold the land to farmers.
Druridge Bay is best known to birdwatchers for hosting, in 1998, the Druridge Bay curlew, a controversial bird which was eventually accepted as the first record of Slender-billed Curlew
Slender-billed Curlew
The Slender-billed Curlew, Numenius tenuirostris, is a bird in the wader family Scolopacidae. It breeds in marshes and peat bogs in the taiga of Siberia, and is migratory, formerly wintering in shallow freshwater habitats around the Mediterranean...
for Britain, although this identification is still disputed by some.