It sank in the North Sea almost 700 years ago, hit by bad weather.
But scientists are searching for what remains of Ravenser Odd, a short-lived medieval city on an island in the Humber estuary.
Described as the “Atlantis of Yorkshire”, this important coastal settlement – the subject of a new exhibition in Hull – flourished in the late 13th century.
It was just west of Spurn Point, the extreme tip of the winding peninsula that separates the North Sea and the Humber Estuary.
Since 2021, two Hull academics have been carrying out seabed research looking for the remains of the city using high-resolution seabed mapping equipment.
Map showing the location of the ancient island city Ravenser Odd. It was just west of Spurn Point, the extreme tip of the winding peninsula that separates the North Sea and the Humber Estuary.
Pictured reject item today. The Ravenser Odd would have been on the right of this photo if it had not sunk in the 14th century, battered by bad weather.
One of them is Dr Steve Simmons, lecturer in energy and environment at the University of Hull, who said Ravenser Odd was once a “thriving colony”.
They hoped to recover all the remains of the city, such as the foundations of the sea wall and the port, but so far they have not succeeded.
“Despite its relative importance in 1299, the Ravenser Odd has today been largely forgotten, having disappeared, swallowed up by the North Sea,” Dr Simmons said in an article for The conversation.
“Conditions in the estuary make it difficult to search for traces of the lost city.”
The Ravenser Odd and its neighbor, Hull, both obtained their charters from Edward I on the same day, 1 April 1299.
The charter made Ravenser Odd a recognized market town and exempted its merchants from certain taxes.
This allowed the town to build its own courthouse, prison and chapel.
At its peak it had around 100 houses and a thriving market – and it was an even more important port than Hull, further up the Humber.
However, after about half a century, the city’s fortunes plummeted.
Map showing the location of the ancient island city Ravenser Odd. It was just west of Spurn Point, the extreme tip of the winding peninsula that separates the North Sea and the Humber Estuary.
Since 2021, two Hull academics have been carrying out seabed research looking for the remains of the city using high-resolution seabed mapping equipment. Pictured, leaving for an investigation in 2022
“In the mid-14th century, storms and strong tidal currents from the North Sea began to take their toll on the settlement,” Dr Simmons said.
“A devastating blow was dealt in 1362 by the storm surge of the Saint-Marcel flood, after which the town began to be abandoned.”
A historical map shows that other islands to the west of the Spurn Peninsula were also lost, with names like Orwithfleet and Sunthorpe, but Ravenser Odd was the largest.
Due to coastal erosion, it is not difficult for entire islands to be weakened and lost over time, Dr. Simmons warns.
The Holderness coastline, north of the Spurn Peninsula, is the most rapidly eroding coastline in Europe.
Its collapsed cliffs of soft clay are receding at an average rate of 6.5 feet (2 meters) per year.
Ravenser Odd is the subject of a new exhibition at the Hull History Center which runs until Thursday 30 May.
It includes key documents including maps of medieval Hull and the original charters of Hull and Ravenser Odd, on loan from the National Archives.
“Despite its proximity to Hull, the history of Ravenser Odd is quite little known,” said Councilor Rob Pritchard, portfolio holder for leisure and culture.
Ravenser Odd and its neighbor, Hull, obtained their charters from Edward I on the same day, 1 April 1299. Pictured, portrait erected at Westminster Abbey during the reign of Edward I, considered an image of the king.
“An understanding of the history of the Ravenser and its implications for the whole of Humber will enable Hull people to reflect on their own 800 years of maritime history and opportunities to explore themes around Hull’s own development.
“This exhibition will tell the story and capture the imagination of locals, children and young people in different ways.”
While there is no doubt that Ravenser Odd existed based on contemporary records, the same cannot be said of the Atlantis to which she is compared.
The so-called ancient city was said to have been destroyed and submerged under the Atlantic Ocean, but it is It is generally believed to have been invented by the Greek philosopher Plato.
Last year, another research team revealed they had discovered the German equivalent of Atlantis: the city of Rungholt, sunk by a storm in 1362.