Haisborough Sands (or Haisboro Sands or Haisbro Sands) is a sandbank off the coast of Norfolk, England at Happisburgh.SC1408 Harwich and Rotterdam to Cromer & Terschelling (Admiralty Small Craft Chart) Coastal planning chart of the Harwich and Rotterdam to Cromer and Terschelling Scale: 1:300,000 The shoal is long and wide and lies parallel to the north-east coast of Norfolk. The shoal is marked to the northwest by north by the Haisbro Light Buoy, North cardinal. To the southeast by south is a light buoy South cardinal, and to the west by Mid Haisbro light buoy starboard hand. In 1995 there were three drying patches recorded to the north-northeast and east-southeast of the Mid Haisbro light buoy. Except at slack water their positions are indicated by tidal eddies particularly on the northwest, and in slight or moderate seas the swell breaks on the shallower parts of the banks. There are several foul patches on the southern part of the shoal. Over the years this shoal has claimed many ships.
Description Haisborough Sands forms part of the Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton Special Area of Conservation. The main ridge of the shoal is made up of five distinct areas. These are named Haisborough Sand, Haisborough Tail, Hammond Knoll, Winterton Ridge and Hearty Knoll. To the eastern edge of the sands there are areas called Hewett Ridge and Smiths Knoll which form a ridge of sandbanks on the outer boundary of the sands. Inshore and to the west there are additional banks including Winterton Shoal and the Newarp Banks.
Fish and mammals Haisborough Sands and its surrounding shoals are known to be spawning grounds for sand eels, lemon sole, and sole. The sands also provide nursery grounds for cod, herring, mackerel, and plaice . There are small numbers of harbour porpoise regularly observed within the boundaries of the sands. The common seals which are resident in the Wash are occasionally observed in this area.Scira Offshore Energy Ltd., 2006; Centrica, 2007
Ships wrecked on Haisborough Sands The Haisborough Sands have been responsible for a number of shipwrecks. One of the most significant involved several vessels lost on 6 August 1941 during the Second World War; several ships within Convoy FS 559, an East Coast convoy of colliers, carrying primarily coal to London, were lost when they ran aground on the Sands in poor weather as a result of the convoy's commodore mistakenly ordering a course onto the sands. The true facts of the incident were kept hidden from the public until after the war.
Some of the ships wrecked here include:
HMS Bideford New Year's Eve 1761/2 HMS Invincible16 March 1801 Yacht Zoe on 24 May 1857 Barque Speculator on 6 December 1875 SS Chicago1878 SS Bywell Castle on 10 February 1883. Barque Brownrigg on 12 August 1888 SS Cambria after a collision with SS Killingworth on 14 May 1891 Barque Ceylon of Christiania, Norway, 1893 Optima ex Placilla18 January 1905 SS Atbara of London on 11 February 1907 An un-named steamer1907 Barque Alf of Laurvig, Norway on 23 November 1909 SS Bodil of Esbjerg on 26 May 1915 SS Camille on 6 January 1916 SS Kronprindsesse Victoria of Haugesund, Norway. 26 November 1917 SS Georgia1927 SS Monte Nevoso during 14–16 October 1932"Henry Blogg, the Greatest of the Lifeboatmen", Jolly, C., Pub: Poppyland Publishing, new edition 2002, SS Meriones 26 January 1941 SS Gallois; part of Convoy FS 559 on 6 August 1941 SS Oxshott of London; part of Convoy FS 559 on 6 August 1941 SS Aberhill of Methil, Fife; part of Convoy FS 559 on 6 August 1941 SS Taara of Pärnu, Estonia; part of Convoy FS 559 on 6 August 1941 SS Paddy Hendly on her maiden voyage; part of Convoy FS 559 on 6 August 1941 SS Deerwood of London; part of Convoy FS 559 on 6 August 1941 SS Betty Hindley; part of Convoy FS 559 on 6 August 1941 SS Afon Towy on 6 August 1941 HM Trawler Agate (referred to as T87 by the AdmiraltyThe Ship-Wrecks off North East Norfolk by Ayer Tikus: Published by Ayer Tikus Publications; ASIN B0032Z2NU0); part of Convoy FS 559 on 6 August 1941 Trawler MV Cuttlefish1981 City of Sunderland2008 Muros3 December 2016
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See also Happisburgh Lifeboat Station Hammond's Knoll - nearby sandbank, similarly treacherous Scroby Sands
References