Editing Spurn (section)

== History ==
Spurn Head was known to classical authors, such as [[Ptolemy]] as ''Ocelum Promontorium'' ({{langx|grc|Ὀκέλον ἄκρον}}).<ref>[[Ptolemy]], ''[[Geography (Ptolemy)|Geography]]'', 2.3.6.</ref><ref>{{cite DGRG|title=Ocelum}}</ref> In the Middle Ages, Spurn Head was home to the port of [[Ravenspurn]] (a.k.a. Ravenspur or Ravensburgh), where [[Henry IV of England|Henry of Bolingbroke]] landed in 1399 on his return to dethrone [[Richard II of England|Richard II]]. It was also where Sir [[Martin de la See]] led the local resistance against [[Edward IV of England|Edward IV]]'s landing on 14 March 1471, as he was returning from his six months' exile in the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bruce|first=J.|year=1838|title=Historie of the Arrivall of Edward IV|publisher=Camden Soc. 1|page=4|oclc=602067}}</ref> An earlier village, closer to the point of Spurn Head, was [[Ravenser Odd]]. Along with many other villages on the [[Holderness]] coast, Ravenspurn and Ravenser Odd were lost to the encroachments of the sea, as Spurn Head, due to erosion and deposition of its sand, migrated westward.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.yorkshirehistory.com/RAVENSER/index.htm | title = History of Ravenser Odd | access-date=15 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508134629/http://www.yorkshirehistory.com/RAVENSER/index.htm |archive-date=8 May 2009}}</ref>

[[File:Spurn Head and Lighthouse, c.1904 (archive ref PO-1-132-1) (36917176342).jpg|thumb|left|Settlement on Spurn Head {{circa|1904}}.]]
The [[Humber Lifeboat Station|lifeboat station]] at Spurn Head was built in 1810. Owing to the remote location, houses for the lifeboat crew and their families were added a few years later. By the 1870s a room in the high lighthouse was being used as a chapel for the small residential community on Spurn Head, serving 'the keepers, coast-guardsmen and fishermen who live at the Point'.<ref name="Elliot1875">{{cite book |last1=Elliot |first1=George&nbsp;H. |title=European Light-House Systems |date=1875 |publisher=Lockwood & co. |location=London |pages=115–116 |url=http://access.bl.uk/item/pdf/lsidyv38f8413f |access-date=10 March 2019}}</ref>

During the [[World War I|First World War]] two [[coastal artillery]] {{convert|9.2|in|mm|adj=on}} [[Artillery battery|batteries]] were added at either end of Spurn Head, with {{convert|4|and|4.7|in|mm|adj=on}} quick-firing guns in between. The emplacements can be clearly seen, and the northern ones are particularly interesting as [[coastal erosion]] has partly toppled them onto the beach, revealing the size of the concrete foundations very well.

[[File:Spurn Head Settlement.jpg|thumb|left|Settlement on Spurn Head in 2009]]
As well as a road, the peninsula also used to have a [[Spurn Point Military Railway|railway]], parts of which can still be seen. Unusual '[[sail bogey|sail bogies]]' were used as well as more conventional light railway equipment.<ref>{{cite web | title = Sails on Rails | url = http://www.copsewood.org/ng_rly/sailbogie/sailbogie.htm | publisher = Mike Munro | access-date = 8 July 2009}}</ref>

Following a [[storm surge|tidal surge]] in December 2013 the roadway became unsafe, and access to Spurn Point is on foot only, with a warning not to attempt this when exceptionally high tides are due.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ywt.org.uk/reserves/spurn-nature-reserve|title=Spurn National Nature Reserve|publisher=Yorkshire Wildlife Trust|access-date=23 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-46608595|title=Spurn, Yorkshire's 'Land's End' five years on|work=BBC News|date=26 December 2018|access-date=26 September 2019}}</ref> Spurn has now become a [[tidal island]], as the narrowest part of the sandbank connection to the mainland is flooded with each high tide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08mn6yg|title=Holderness, Countryfile – BBC One|publisher=BBC|access-date=23 July 2017}}</ref>

Plans to build a new visitor centre for the reserve were unveiled in September 2014 by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Visitor-centre-plan-Spurn-Point-Nature-Reserve/story-23014024-detail/story.html|work=Hull Daily Mail|date=29 September 2014|title=Visitor centre plan for Spurn Point Nature Reserve 
|access-date=23 January 2015|first=Danny |last=Longhorn}}</ref><ref>{{cite newsletter|work=Spurn Newsletter|publisher=Yorkshire Wildlife Trust|issue=1|date=September 2014|access-date=23 January 2015|url=http://data.wildlifetrusts.org/sites/default/files/Spurn%20Newsletter%201%20Sept%202014.pdf|title=The Spurn Visitor Centre|pages=1–4}}</ref> Planning consent for the initial plans was refused by [[East Riding of Yorkshire Council]] in July 2016<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-36828817|title=East Yorkshire wildlife visitor centre plan rejected|date=18 July 2016|work=BBC News|access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref> but revised plans were approved in January 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-38759171|title=Spurn gets go-ahead for wildlife visitor centre|date=26 January 2017|work=BBC News|access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref> These plans face local opposition because of the perceived feeling of commercialisation of the reserve by YWT, with plans to build extensive car park facilities, no longer free.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/Spurn_visitor_centre_plans_sparks_opposition.aspx?s_id=557018582 |title=Spurn visitor centre plans sparks opposition|access-date=23 July 2017}}</ref> The new visitor centre was officially opened by [[Simon King (broadcaster)|Simon King]] on 20 March 2018.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-43472770|title=Spurn wildlife visitor centre opens despite objections|date=20 March 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=6 October 2019}}</ref>

A February 2023 inspection of the RNLI launch jetty revealed structural issues, as a result the station was moved to [[Grimsby]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-65781749|title=Humber lifeboat station leaves Spurn Point after 213 years of rescues|date=1 June 2023|work=BBC News|accessdate=30 September 2023}}</ref>