National Character Area 40 - Holderness : Key Characteristics

A broad, gently undulating plain which is centred on the valley of the River Hull and is drained by a network of canals, ditches and canalised tributaries.

Long views with arable farmland sloping upwards bounded by the dip slope of the Yorkshire Wolds to the north and west.

Glacial landscape of boulder clay, gravels and alluvium over chalk with many glacial features including hummocky terrain, moraine-like ridges and kettle holes. Low, rapidly eroding coastline of soft clay cliffs.

Sparse tree and woodland cover leading to a generally open landscape with long views, enclosed by the Wolds to the north and west.

Large field patterns bounded by drainage ditches on the River Hull flood plain, and hedgerows on higher ground.

Highly fragmented remnants of semi-natural vegetation including carr, swamp and wet grassland and Hornsea Mere, a large, natural lake designated for its associated habitats and bird species.

Gently undulating land towards the coastal strip, characterised by arable farmland, wind-pruned trees, holiday homes, caravan parks and some historical sites.

Inland, the agricultural landscape is separated from the North Sea by a line of soft boulder clay cliffs with long views out to sea along a sweeping coastline with the Chalk headland of Flamborough visible in the north.

The interaction between different currents at the Flamborough Front provides good feeding grounds for fish, birds and marine mammals.

A wide range of seabirds (such as razorbill and gannet) visible throughout inshore waters, dispersing from nesting sites further north. At certain times of the year large numbers of little gull are present at Hornsea Mere. Little tern forages along the Holderness coast.

A network of minor winding roads and lanes, linking dispersed villages and hamlets, with village churches providing prominent landmarks in the flat landscape. Many villages have a variety of buildings grouped around ponds and village greens.

The principal towns of Holderness are Driffield, Beverley and the coastal resort of Bridlington, together with the smaller coastal settlements of Hornsea and Withernsea. Part of the urban fringe of the City of Hull extends northwards into Holderness.

Traditional farmsteads, houses and other buildings characterised by red brick and pantiles. Occasional buildings towards the coast constructed from Holderness cobbles and older buildings including churches often built in limestone.

Beverley Minster, a large gothic building completed in 1425, and Burton Constable, an Elizabethan country house whose parkland was landscaped by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, are key heritage assets.

The adjoining Yorkshire Wolds NCA has provided inspiration to artists and poets, the most notable being David Hockney.