Archaeology at the Beach

This post is the first of many by co-editor Emma Marsh, who is currently undertaking a project exploring remains of WW2 rubble at Crosby Beach! Read on for a whale of a time...

In July of last year I came across a very remarkable section of the English coast. Located slightly further down from a section of beach I have been regularly visiting for years is an expanse of rubble. The rubble stretches out as far as the eye can see, the sand is completely covered in red brick, with striking pieces of stonework dotted along the coastline and dipping in to the ocean. Amongst the bricks’ fragments of tiles, windows, and ornaments can be found. It is clear to anyone visiting this beach that it is a very unique beach.

Upon researching the beach I discovered that the rubble is the remains of buildings destroyed in the Liverpool Blitz. Many buildings were destroyed during World war Two in Liverpool; there was widespread destruction of people’s homes, as well as targeted attacks large public buildings. Both types of destruction are reflected at the beach, the red bricks came from the destruction of residential areas, whereas the large decorated stonework clearly comes from a much more important buildings. The stonework was clearly very expensive to produce, the stone alone would have been very expensive, and combining this with the high quality carving drastically increases its value.

During my visits to the beach I have collected many interesting objects to study, allowing me to deepen my understanding of the site. There is a large volume of tile scattered along the beach, hidden in between the bricks. There is a stunning variety of tile that can be found here, such as the gorgeous art deco style green design and the blue floral Victorian pieces (below). I also discovered an array of glass. Some of the glass found at the beach is clearly decorative, most lightly tableware found in middle class 1940s homes (below), as well as window glass and re-enforced glass that may have been used in the prisons or warehouses that were destroyed in the blitz.

I will be continuing my research in to this site, and will be researching the artefacts further to attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the rubble. I am aiming to identify the public buildings destroyed in the blitz from the stonework at the beach, as well as developing an understanding of the typical 1940s homes that were destroyed in the bombings.

Emma Marsh

---

For updates on Emma's work: @archaeobeach

Don't forget to follow us! @abonetopickblog