The Wash, Eastern England?

Question

Ive been looking at Google Earth. There is a wierd looking structure on the coast just offshore from Gedney Drove End in the Wash. It looks manmade. Can anyone tell me what it is?

Answer 1

This was built to hold a freshwater reservoir, and was part of a 1970s

feasibility study for an ambitious scheme which never happened.

The reservoir structure is sometimes called the "outer trial bank",

presumably to distinguish it from the smaller artificial island/trial

bank nearer land.

Answer 2

It is. In 1972 a feasibility study was commissioned and undertaken by the Government of the day to build a barrage across just half of The Wash to capture the freshwater from the four main entering rivers, to improve navigation through sea locks, to provide recreational facilities and to provide an area of land for a power station, etc. This led to a circular trial bank/bund being built to the east of Sutton Bridge and the Nene, the purpose of which was to promote reservoirs. But the report concluded the project would prove to be far too costly, and nothing came about.

The latest concept is to have a structure that would span the Wash from Hunstanton in Norfolk to just south of Skegness in Lincolnshire, a distance of approximately 18km, with an additional 5km of barrier in Lincolnshire.

My brother has been bird ringing on it.

Answer 3

ill have a look and get back to you

oh well Matt be me too it, it does look strange though.