Haisborough Sands facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Haisborough Sands |
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| Haisboro Sands or Haisbro Sands | |
Location map of Haisborough Sands
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| Location | Southern North Sea, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 52°54′N 1°42′E / 52.900°N 1.700°E |
| Length | 16 km (9.9 mi) |
| Width | 1.6 km (0.99 mi) |
| Area | 31.249 km2 (12.065 sq mi) |
Haisborough Sands (also known as Haisboro Sands or Haisbro Sands) is a large sandbank located off the coast of Norfolk, England. It is near the town of Happisburgh. This sandbank is about 10 miles (16 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. It runs parallel to the northeast coast of Norfolk.
The sandbank is marked by special buoys to help ships navigate safely. There's a light buoy to the north-west, another to the south-east, and one to the west. In 1995, some parts of the sandbank were recorded as "drying patches." This means they become visible above the water at low tide. When the tide is moving, you can often see swirling water, called eddies, especially on the north-west side. In choppy seas, waves can break over the shallower parts of the sandbank. The southern part of the sandbank also has areas with hidden dangers, like old shipwrecks or rocks. Over many years, Haisborough Sands has caused many ships to sink.
Contents
What is Haisborough Sands?
The main part of Haisborough Sands is made up of five different areas. These areas have names like Haisborough Sand, Haisborough Tail, Hammond Knoll, Winterton Ridge, and Hearty Knoll.
On the eastern side of the sands, there are more sandbanks called Hewett Ridge and Smiths Knoll. These form an outer edge for the main sandbank system. Closer to the shore, on the west side, you can find other banks such as Winterton Shoal and the Newarp Banks.
Amazing Animals of Haisborough Sands
Haisborough Sands and the sandbanks around it are very important for sea life. They are known as special places where certain fish lay their eggs, which is called "spawning grounds." For example, Sand eels, lemon sole, and sole all use these sands for spawning.
The sands also act as "nursery grounds" for young fish. This means it's a safe place for baby fish to grow before they move into deeper waters. Young Cod, Herring, Mackerel, sole, lemon sole, and Plaice all grow up here.
You might also spot some marine mammals around Haisborough Sands. Small numbers of Harbour porpoise are often seen here. Common seals that live in the Wash (a large bay nearby) sometimes visit this area too.
Ships Wrecked on Haisborough Sands
Because Haisborough Sands can be dangerous, many ships have been wrecked here over the centuries. Here are some of the famous ships that met their end on these sands:
- HMS Invincible - March 16, 1801
- SS Chicago - 1878
- Barque Brownrigg - August 12, 1888
- SS Cambria - May 14, 1891 (after hitting SS Killingworth)
- Barque Ceylon of Christiania, Norway - 1893
- Optima (formerly Placilla) - January 18, 1905
- SS Atbara of London - February 11, 1907
- An un-named steamer - 1907
- Barque Alf of Laurvig, Norway - November 23, 1909
- SS Bodil of Esbjerg - May 26, 1915
- SS Camille - January 6, 1916
- SS Kronprindsesse Victoria of Haugesund, Norway - November 26, 1917
- SS Georgia - 1927
- SS Monte Nevoso - October 14–16, 1932
- SS Meriones - January 26, 1941
- SS Gallois - August 6, 1941 (part of Convoy FS 559)
- SS Oxshott of London - August 6, 1941 (part of Convoy FS 559)
- SS Aberhill of Methil, Fife - August 6, 1941 (part of Convoy FS 559)
- SS Taara of Pärnu, Estonia - August 6, 1941 (part of Convoy FS 559)
- SS Paddy Hendly - August 6, 1941 (on her first voyage, part of Convoy FS 559)
- SS Deerwood of London - August 6, 1941 (part of Convoy FS 559)
- SS Betty Hindley - August 6, 1941 (part of Convoy FS 559)
- SS Afon Towy - August 6, 1941
- HM Trawler Agate (known as T87) - August 6, 1941 (part of Convoy FS 559)
- Trawler MV Cuttlefish - 1981
- City of Sunderland - 2008
- Muros - December 3, 2016
Gallery
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The SS Monte Nevoso stuck on the Haisborough Sands
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An old map (Admiralty chart) showing Haisborough Sands
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A chart of the Haisborough Sands Lighthouse
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