Ravenspurn was a town in theEast Riding of Yorkshire, England, which was lost due tocoastal erosion, one of more than 30 along theHolderness Coast which have been lost to theNorth Sea since the 19th century. The town was located close to the end of a peninsula nearRavenser Odd, which had been flooded in the 14th century. The peninsula still survives and is known asSpurn Head. The North Sea lies to the east of the peninsula, theHumber estuary to the west.
The nearest major city wasKingston upon Hull.
The region of coastline is known as the Holderness Coast; geologically the land is formed ofglacial tills (boulder clay), which are subject to coastal erosion. Now at sea, areas around the site are being drilled fornatural gas.
Two English kings won the throne after landing at Ravenspurn:Henry IV in 1399, on his way to dethroneRichard II, andEdward IV, in 1471. Returning with an army from exile in the Netherlands, Edward was vainly resisted by the local lord, SirMartin de la See, before defeating his Lancastrian opponents in the battles ofBarnet andTewkesbury.[1][2] Ravenspurn, under the spelling 'Ravenspurgh', appears inWilliam Shakespeare's playsRichard II andHenry IV, Part 1 in connection with Henry's landing, and inHenry VI, Part 3 in reference to Edward's.
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53°36′10″N0°10′00″E / 53.60278°N 0.16667°E /53.60278; 0.16667
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