A peaceful sandbar off the coast of Kentish is home to more than 1000 wrecks, and also a historic remnant of war.
Goodwin Sands is a long stretch of sand (about 16km) at the southern end of the North Sea, located about 10km off the Deal coast in Kent, England. This place possesses a diverse ecosystem with many typical marine species, and was proposed by the Wildlife Trust to become a marine protected area in the future.
Panorama of Goodwin Sands.
In 2016, Goodwin faced the risk of disappearing because the Dover harbor management planned to dredge 2.5 million tons of sand to expand the port. Fortunately, the management has encountered resistance from people due to environmental factors. However, there is also another reason, which is because…
Tucked beneath the surface of the water, Goodwin is one of the English Channel’s most dangerous sites. When storms pass through, they can cause deadly disasters.
Hidden beneath the surface of the water, Goodwin is one of the most dangerous sites on the English Channel.
At the end of November 1703, the South of England witnessed the worst natural disaster in history. The storm named Great Storm claimed the lives of more than 1,000 sailors on this sandbar.
Among the many ships that sank that night was HMS Stirling Castle – a giant warship. It was discovered in 1979 by a local diver, and since 1980 has been recognized as a protected wreck under the Shipwreck Protection Act of 1973.
On January 24, 1809, an East India Company ship carrying cargo, including iron ore, guns, anchors and 48 tons of coins for the Indians sailed from London to Madras. As the ship crossed the Kent coast, a sudden gust of wind caused her to run aground on the Goodwin sands with two other ships that night. Fortunately, only one person was killed in the event that night.
The three East Indies ships as well as HMS Stirling Castle are just a few of the more than 1,000 ships buried under the Goodwin sands. Some believe that the number of shipwrecks exceeds 2,000.
Ships are stranded or sunk in this sea area.
In 2013, the Dornier, the last bomber used in World War II, was discovered at Goodwin. It was shot down during the British Air War in 1940.
When a hurricane passes, Goodwin can cause a deadly disaster.
However, there are still a number of planes and their crews still deep in the sands of Goodwin. David Brocklehurst of the Kent Battle of Britain Museum has compiled a list of 60 aircraft that are said to have either “landed” or “crashed” on the Goodwin sands in 1940. Of these, the crew of at least 50 are believed to have been killed or missing.
Dover Port Authority says protected areas will not be affected. Antony Greenwood, a spokesman for the Board of Trustees, said that the dredging progress would be limited to about 0.22% of Goodwin’s total sand volume, meaning no impact on the overall structure of the site.
The sand at Goodwin is disappearing.
However, opponents of this view argue that Goodwin is a closed system, meaning sand is an entity, constantly moving around. If dredging is done in this area, sand elsewhere in the system will return, which could affect protected ships. In other words, this could wipe out the entire Goodwin yard.
US Air Force historians then had to check the accuracy of Brocklehurst’s list, which could upset the dredging process. Under the provisions of the Military Protection Act (1986), such action could be committed against an area with military aircraft debris, or the graves of those who died in the military.
Greenwood thinks potential damage to historic sites can be reduced with archaeological consultants, to ensure procedures are followed. However, in a letter to the Maritime Administration, the Archaeological Society said that having observers aboard the dredgers would not help because “they will only see the damage.” only when it happened.”