Coatham Marsh

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Coatham Marsh local nature reserve
Pond on Coatham Marsh Nature Reserve - geograph.org.uk - 5442179.jpg
Pond on Coatham Marsh Nature Reserve
Coatham Marsh
Location Coatham, Redcar and Cleveland, England
Nearest town Redcar
OS grid NZ585250 [1]
Coordinates 54°36′50″N1°05′13″W / 54.614°N 1.087°W / 54.614; -1.087 [2]
Area54 hectares (130 acres) [3]
Designated SSSI – 31 July 2018
Managed by Tees Valley Wildlife Trust
Website Official webpage

Coatham Marsh is a 54-hectare (130-acre) nature reserve near to Redcar in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland, England. The site is a local nature reserve and part of the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast SSSI.

Contents

History

Coatham Marsh has been pinpointed as the site of one of the last strongholds of northern nobles holding out against the invasion by William the Conqueror. A battle was believed to have been fought here in either 1069 or 1070, with the defensive structures remaining visible until the early 20th century. [4] [5] The site was used in the 12th and 13th centuries as a place to produce salt from seawater. [6] [7] The evidence of these saltings can still be found in the present day marsh, and this activity is the only industrial work that has taken place upon Coatham Marsh despite it being adjacent to a former Redcar Steelworks site. However, wastes from various steel and iron plants in East Cleveland have been dumped onto Coatham Marsh, along with construction and household waste between the 1960s and the 1980s. [8] [9] In the early 1840s, as the land remained undeveloped, it was regularly flooded by high tides. [10] The building of the Redcar steelworks complex in the late 1970s, necessitated the diversion of the railway line to Redcar and Saltburn through the middle of Coatham Marsh, bisecting the site in two. However crossings and bridges allow for the two sites to be walked in one visit. [11]

The site was owned by British Steel (later Corus, then Tata Steel), and since 1982 it has been managed by the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust. [12] Coatham Marsh was designated an SSSI as part of the Teesside and Cleveland Coast in 2018. [13] [14]

The site has a small beck called The Fleet which drains south-westwards from Redcar and feeds into the River Tees via Dabholm Gut. The Fleet supplies and drains several reedbed-fringed ponds on Coatham Marsh, and drains an area of 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi). [15] [16] Coatham Marsh is bounded by the A1085 to the south, Tod Point Road to the north, Locke Park and Coatham to the east, and the former Redcar Steelworks to the west (now known as the Teesworks site). [3] [17]

Flora and fauna

Otters have been noted on the marsh, having been assumed to be behind the depletion of managed fish stocks in the ponds on the marsh. [18] Over 200 species of bird have been noted at the site, including spoonbill, gadwall, wood sandpiper, white-winged black tern, Temminck's stint, black redstart, curlew sandpiper, stone curlew, pochard, reed warbler, reed bunting, water rail, and tufted duck. [3] [19] [9] [20] [21] Dragon and damselflies noted at the site include the common darter, common blue and large red damselfly. [22]

The saline-loving moss bryum marratii (Baltic Byrum), has historically been noted at the site. [23] Other plants that have been noted at the site include the northern marsh orchid, the yellow wort, and the bee orchid. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Tees</span> East coast river of Northern England

The River Tees, in England, rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines and flows eastwards for 85 miles (137 km) to reach the North Sea in the North East of England. The modern day history of the river has been tied with the industries on Teesside in its lower reaches, where it has provided the means of import and export of goods to and from the North East England. The need for water further downstream also meant that reservoirs were built in the extreme upper reaches, such as Cow Green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redcar and Cleveland</span> Borough in North Yorkshire, England

Redcar and Cleveland is a unitary authority area with borough status in North Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redcar</span> Town in North Yorkshire, England

Redcar is a seaside town on the Yorkshire Coast in the Redcar and Cleveland unitary authority in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is located 7 miles (11 km) east of Middlesbrough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teesside</span> Conurbation in England

Teesside is a built-up area around the River Tees in North East England, split between County Durham and North Yorkshire. The area contains the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Billingham, Redcar, Thornaby-on-Tees, and Ingleby Barwick. Teesside's economy was once dominated by heavy manufacturing until deindustrialisation in the latter half of the 20th century. Chemical production continues to contribute significantly to Teesside's economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tees Valley</span> Devolved region in Northern England

The Tees Valley is a devolved region in Northern England, around the lower River Tees. The area is not a geographical valley; the local term for the valley is Teesdale. The combined authority covers five council areas: Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorman Long</span> British steel company

Dorman Long & Co was a UK steel producer, later diversifying into bridge building. The company was once listed on the London Stock Exchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redcar British Steel railway station</span> Disused railway station in North Yorkshire, England

Redcar British Steel is a mothballed railway station on the Tees Valley Line, which runs between Bishop Auckland and Saltburn via Darlington. The station, situated 5+3⁄4 miles (9 km) east of Middlesbrough, served the Teesside Steelworks, Redcar and Cleveland in North Yorkshire, England. At the time of the station's closure, it was owned by Network Rail and managed by Arriva Rail North.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coatham</span> Area of Redcar in North Yorkshire, England

Coatham is an area of Redcar in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dormanstown</span> Area near Redcar in North Yorkshire, England

Dormanstown is an area of Redcar in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.

Tees and Hartlepool Foreshore and Wetlands SSSI is a 255.62-hectare (631.7-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in County Durham, England notified in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teesside Steelworks</span>

The Teesside Steelworks was a large steelworks that formed a continuous stretch along the south bank of the River Tees from the towns of Middlesbrough to Redcar in North Yorkshire, England. At its height there were 91 blast furnaces within a 10-mile radius of the area. By the end of the 1970s there was only one left on Teesside. Opened in 1979 and located near the mouth of the River Tees, the Redcar blast furnace was the second largest in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Gare</span> Area at Teesmouth in North Yorkshire, England

South Gare is an area of reclaimed land and breakwater on the southern side of the mouth of the River Tees in Redcar and Cleveland, England. It is accessed by taking the South Gare Road from Fisherman's Crossing at the western end of Tod Point Road in Warrenby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teesside Wind Farm</span> British offshore wind farm

Teesside Wind Farm, or alternatively referred to as Redcar Wind Farm, is a 27 turbine 62 MW capacity offshore wind farm constructed just to the east of the mouth of the River Tees and 1.5 km north of Redcar off the North Yorkshire coast, in the North Sea, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire and Steel Festival</span>

Fire and Steel Festival was a one-day festival held in Redcar, North Yorkshire, set against the background of the industrial furnace of the largest steelworks in Europe and Redcar’s coast line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council</span> Unitary authority in England

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is the local authority for Redcar and Cleveland in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. Since 1996 it has been a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. The council was created in 1974 as Langbaurgh Borough Council and was a district-level authority until 1996 when it was renamed and became a unitary authority, taking over county-level functions from the abolished Cleveland County Council. The council is based at the Civic Centre in Redcar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Houchen, Baron Houchen of High Leven</span> British politician (born 1986)

Ben Houchen, Baron Houchen of High Leven, is a British Conservative Party politician who was elected as Tees Valley Mayor in May 2017 after winning the 2017 mayoral election, defeating Labour candidate Sue Jeffrey by 2.2 per cent in the second round. He was re-elected in 2021, defeating the Labour candidate, Jessie Joe Jacobs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redcar Bulk Terminal</span> Deep sea East Coast port in Redcar and Cleveland, Northern England

Redcar Bulk Terminal (RBT), also known as Redcar Ore Terminal, is a privately run dock at the mouth of the Tees Estuary in North Yorkshire, England. The port is used for the transhipment of coal and coke and for many years was the import dock for iron ore destined for Redcar Steelworks under British Steel Corporation, British Steel plc, Corus, Tata Steel Europe and Sahaviriya Steel Industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teesmouth Lifeboat Station</span> Former lifeboat station in Yorkshire, England

Teesmouth Lifeboat Station was a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station, situated on the mouth of the River Tees, South Gare, North Yorkshire, England. The lifeboat station had been operating at Teesmouth for 177 years when it was closed by the RNLI in 2006. The withdrawal of the lifeboat capability from Teesmouth was subject to much criticism from the local council and the volunteers who crewed the boat, but the RNLI stated that there was an over-provision of lifeboat cover on the north-east coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Tees Development Corporation</span> Regeneration body in England

The South Tees Development Corporation (STDC) is the first Mayoral Development Corporation outside of Greater London established under the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016. It was created to "promote the economic growth and commercial development of Tees Valley by converting assets in the South Tees area into opportunities for business investment and economic growth".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunt Cliff</span> Cliff in North Yorkshire, England

Hunt Cliff is a sea cliff or promontory, located between Saltburn and Skinningrove, in Redcar and Cleveland, on the Yorkshire Coast in England. Whilst Hunt Cliff is not as high as the nearby cliffs at Boulby, the view of it from Saltburn has been described as "very striking". Historically, the cliff has had many uses, being a signal station for the Romans, a place to mine ironstone, and a radar station during the Second World War. The Cleveland Way long-distance path traverses the cliff edge.

References

  1. ↑ "Coatham Marsh to Newport Bridge" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. p. 1. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  2. ↑ "Coatham Marsh". group.rspb.org.uk/. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Robson, Dave (13 March 2015). "War on fly-tipping and litter at popular Redcar nature reserve". Teesside Live. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  4. ↑ Page 1968, p. 374.
  5. ↑ Cockcroft, Janet (1996). Redcar and Coatham; a history to the end of the 19th century. Cleveland: A. A. Southeran. p. 4. ISBN   0-905032-05-5.
  6. ↑ "Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre | Coatham - a forgotten Yorkshire haven near Redcar". scarboroughsmaritimeheritage.org.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  7. ↑ Garden, Jane (1994). The Iron Coast. London: Sinclair-Stevenson. p. 4. ISBN   1-85619-427-2.
  8. ↑ Mayes, W. M.; Younger, P. L.; Aumônier, J. (November 2008). "Hydrogeochemistry of Alkaline Steel Slag Leachates in the UK". Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. 195 (1–4): 38. Bibcode:2008WASP..195...35M. doi:10.1007/s11270-008-9725-9.
  9. 1 2 3 Riley, Alex L.; MacDonald, John M.; Burke, Ian T.; Renforth, Phil; Jarvis, Adam P.; Hudson-Edwards, Karen A.; McKie, Jessica; Mayes, William M. (December 2020). "Legacy iron and steel wastes in the UK: Extent, resource potential, and management futures". Journal of Geochemical Exploration. 219: 6. Bibcode:2020JCExp.21906630R. doi:10.1016/j.gexplo.2020.106630.
  10. ↑ Page 1968, p. 371.
  11. ↑ "Coatham Marsh - Visit Tees Valley". teesvalley-ca.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  12. ↑ Gomes, H. I.; Rogerson, M.; Courtney, R.; Mayes, W. M. (2020). "7: Integrating remediation and resource recovery of industrial alkaline wastes". In Macaskie, Lynn E; Sapsford, Devin J.; Mayes, Will M. (eds.). Resource recovery from wastes; towards a circular economy. London: Royal Society of Chenistry. p. 181. ISBN   978-1-78801-381-9.
  13. ↑ "Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast" (PDF). designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  14. ↑ "Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast SSSI". magic.defra.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  15. ↑ "Net Zero Teesside Project" (PDF). infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk. July 2022. p. 19. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  16. ↑ "Water Environment Improvements Project Evidence Form" (PDF). nwg.co.uk. p. 12. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  17. ↑ Harrap, Simon; Redman, Nigel (2010) [2003]. Where to watch birds in Britain (2 ed.). London: Bloomsbury. p. 440. ISBN   978-1-4081-1059-1.
  18. ↑ Webber, Chris (17 March 2013). "Otters have devastated our fish stock, say anglers". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  19. ↑ Clark, Jacquie A.; Wernham, Chris V.; Balmer, Dawn E.; Adams, Sue Y.; Griffin, Bridget M.; Blackburn, Jeremy R.; Anning, Dave; Milne, Linda J. (May 2001). "Bird ringing in Britain and Ireland in 1999". Ringing & Migration. 20 (3): 269. doi:10.1080/03078698.2001.9674252.
  20. ↑ May, Derwent (19 May 2001). "Feather report". The Times. No. 67143. p. 65. ISSN   0140-0460.
  21. ↑ Randall, David (17 July 2010). "Wild Britain: Week 1. The Best of the Wildlife Trust's sites". The Independent. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  22. ↑ "WT Coatham Marsh". british-dragonflies.org.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  23. ↑ Porley, Ron (2013). England's rare mosses & liverworts: their history, ecology, and conservation. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. p. 66. ISBN   978-0-691-15871-6.

Sources

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