Scientists search for Yorkshire’s Atlantis 900 years after it was lost to the sea

A survey of the Humber sea floor was conducted in May 2022

Scientists are deploying the most advanced sonar and magnetic scanning technology to solve the mystery of Yorkshire’s “Atlantis”.

They are trying to find the lost medieval Humber port of Ravenser Odd, which was swallowed up by the sea in the 14th century after one of the biggest storm surges in the North Sea’s history.

Tens of thousands died in the St Marcellus flood of 1362, which forced the residents of Ravenser Odd to abandon what was then one of the major medieval trading sea hubs on the east coast of England, rivalling Hull and Grimsby.

Now a group of marine experts and historians have teamed up to establish the location and remnant stone structures of Ravenser Odd beneath the shifting sands and shingle of the Humber estuary.

Its discovery will not only solve a historical mystery but also provide vital clues to the future shape of the estuary and Spurn Head peninsula which will determine whether it will remain a secure route for ships trading from Hull and Grimsby.

The Humber is a critical deep water trading route for the whole of the UK, while the Holderness coastline, to the north of Spurn Head, is the fastest eroding shore in Europe. Its crumbling cliffs of soft boulder clay are retreating at an average rate of almost seven feet every year.

The scientists are using a combination of ground-penetrating radar and magnetic gradiometry to probe beneath the seabed in the hope of finding stone structures that are all that is likely to remain of the town.

Ravenser Odd began life as a port on the narrow spit of shingle and clay known as Spurn Head that forms the north bank of the mouth of the Humber.

Spurn Head, which one theory says has shifted its position over the centuries, posing a possible threat to the Humber shipping route – ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

It grew into a prosperous settlement and in 1299, a charter made it into a recognised borough and exempted its merchants from some taxes. This allowed the town to build its own court, jail and chapel. It was represented by two members of parliament.

Ravenser contributed ships to Edward I and Edward II’s wars with Scotland, and its envious rivals on the Humber, Grimsby and Hull, accused it of piracy, as did German merchants and the king of Norway.

By the mid-14th century, the storms and strong tidal currents of the North Sea began to take their toll on the settlement, with the 1362 St Marcellus’s flood delivering the final blow.

The location of Ravenser Odd has long remained contested because the historical evolution of Spurn Head remains uncertain, with no reports of structures from Ravenser for more than 500 years.

The search for the remains is being led by Dr Steve Simmons, a lecturer in energy and environment at Hull University, and Phil Mathison, a historian.

One theory suggests the Spurn Head peninsula gradually extends across the mouth of the Humber every 250 years before being breached, creating an island while a new spit is formed further inland.

This would place Ravenser more than a mile offshore from the present peninsula and, if correct, would suggest the Humber could silt up, threatening its future as a major trade route.

Mr Mathison, who has spent years investigating the history of the area, believes the truth is closer to home and that the remains of the town pass underneath the current spit. This is where he and Dr Simmons have focused their search.

If their theory is correct and they find Yorkshire’s lost “Atlantis,” Dr Simmons said it would overturn the cyclical spit theory and potentially dispel the threat to trade via the Humber.

“It has implications for the Humber estuary. It’s a significant trade route, accounting for 25 per cent of this country’s sea trade,” said Dr Simmons.

“If we found the town, it would provide significant evidence to how the spit evolved. It would knock down the theory of it being cyclical.”

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