| Hornsea | |
|---|---|
| Town and civil parish | |
 Hornsea Promenade | |
  Hornsea Location within the East Riding of Yorkshire | |
| Area | 4.61 sq mi (11.9 km2) |
| Population | 8,432 (2011 census)[1] |
| • Density | 1,829/sq mi (706/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TA203476 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HORNSEA |
| Postcode district | HU18 |
| Dialling code | 01964 |
| Police | Humberside |
| Fire | Humberside |
| Ambulance | Yorkshire |
| UK Parliament | |
Hornsea is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The settlement dates to at least the early medieval period. The town was expanded in the Victorian era with the coming of the Hull and Hornsea Railway in 1864. In the First World War, the mere was briefly the site of RNAS Hornsea Mere, a seaplane base. During the Second World War, the town and beach were heavily fortified against invasion.
The civil parish encompasses Hornsea town; the natural lake, Hornsea Mere; and the lost or deserted villages of Hornsea Beck, Northorpe and Southorpe. Structures of note in the parish include the medieval parish church of St Nicholas, Bettison's Folly, Hornsea Mere and the sea front promenade.
The economy includes a mix of tourism and small manufacturing. Most notably, Hornsea Pottery was established in Hornsea in 1949 and closed in 2000. Modern Hornsea still functions as a coastal resort and has large caravan sites to the north and south.
The soft soil and low-lying geography result in consistent coastal erosion that threatens some of the infrastructure of the community.[2] This is expected to worsen as climate change causes sea level rise.[2] In some areas, residents have already been forced to take a managed retreat.[2]