The North Sea: Along the Edge of Britain
The North Sea: Along the Edge of Britain is a historical journey that traces the windswept story of the coldest sea on earth, and examines how it has shaped who we are, and how we see ourselves.
Read our post on keeping dogs safe by the seaside. And also how to help native seals, which often pop up along the North Sea coast.
This maritime highway that faces Belgium, the Netherlands and Scandinavia, looks out from Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Northumberland. With a proud sea-faring past, it runs from Kent and the Rhine estuary to the Norwegian coast and tips of the Shetland Islands (closer to Norway than to London).
The sea has been home to warring tribes, foreign invaders and lost civilisations, as well as countless holidaymakers (the North Sea coastal resorts are the nearest ‘seaside holidays’ to people in central England like Leicestershire).
With a history spanning 1000 years, today the North Sea continues to rise, claiming land mass as the east coast crumbles and sinks. In Norfolk, the villages of Hemsby and Happisburgh have suffered severe coastal erosion, and some villages like Eccles have literally been swallowed up, leaving ‘ghostly imprints of ancient churches’ in the sand, when the tide is out.
The author (a renowned historian) takes us on a sweeping history, from the white cliffs of Dover to flooded homes, crossing wild fenland and visiting well-worn seaside towns and windswept island monasteries.
From its sad whaling history (Whitby) to modern controversy over oil and gas drilling and offshore wind farms, this is the story of how the North Sea shaped us, and we can protect it and all the people who live near it, and creatures that live in it.
A masterful telling of the stories of the sea that has shaped our island nation. I loved it. A perfect mix of personal and historical. Gavin Esler
About the Author
Alistair Moffat was born in Scotland. An award-winning writer and historian, he is former director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and founder of the Borders Book Festival.
