Spurn Point

Introduction:

Spurn Point – at the mouth of the River Humber, one of the best locations I have found for landscape/seascape photography.

Rip Tide

Spurn point is the spit of narrow land which is formed by the southward flow of water down the North Sea depositing sand on the northern bank of the Humber estuary. The spit is approximately three and a half miles long but in places less than fifty yards wide. Luckily, you can drive the whole length of the point, but beware that in places you will be driving on sand, and the road may change after each winter storm. At some point the sea will punch a hole through and spurn will become an island. The whole point is a nature reserve and there is a small entry fee, however as a photographer you will probably be back in the cafe before the wardens start collecting the fee.

Flotsam

What to photograph:

Landscapes and seascapes are a dream here, either early morning for eastward facing dawn shots, or evening for westward facing Hull and Grimsby across the water. On the seaward side there are a number of old ‘groins’, which provide a good foreground for your seascape. The best groins are here:

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At the head of the point is the pilot station, and two lighthouses!. What more could you want?  The old lighthouse is on the estuary side and has been converted to a water tank, but can still be photogenic at dusk or during a stormy evening. The new lighthouse, or more strictly the ‘newer’ lighthouse is the black and white tower seen from the whole length of the point. You can use this as a focal point whilst shooting on the seaward side.  The pilot’s jetty is a useful foreground subject at dusk too.

Natural History. Spurn is renowned for birdwatching and is just as good for the photographer. High tide is the best time as it drives the birds higher up the beach. Position yourself on the estuary side with a portable bag hide and a long lens for some fantastic shots of waders. If you are a birder, or want to photograph birds at Spurn then you had better be in touch with these guys Spurn Bird Observatory

Spurn Light

Pilot's Jetty

Spurn Defences

A little further up the coast at Kilnsea are a number of WWI gun emplacements which have started to fall into the sea. These can be very photogenic and because they face east are a morning location.

Kilnsea Gun Emplacements

Map:

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For your satnav use the following postcode HU12 0UG

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