South Holderness Countryside Society

South Holderness Countryside Society The South Holderness Countryside Society was set up in 1983 with the primary aim of 'Making a Better Place for Wildlife'. This is our 'Ivy House project'.

SHCS is a charitable society concerned with exploring nature as well as giving the opportunity for people to help in conservation of our two award-winning nature reserves and, our base, Ivy House. We own two large award-winning nature reserves, Beacon Lagoons and Hollym Carrs, and have over 100 subscribing members from all walks of life. We have also recently inherited a farmhouse, its outbuildin

gs and approximately two hectares of land in Hollym near Withernsea. We are planning to develop this into our headquarters with office, archive/library and meeting/exhibition space. We are aiming to develop the grounds into a mosaic of wildlife habitats. It is going to be a large and expensive project but we feel the time, expense and effort will be worth it in the long run! As a registered Charity we are dedicated to educating members of the public on matters relating to natural history and conservation. We organise monthly indoor meetings, freely open to the public, covering the spectrum of wildlife and conservation interest. We promote educational visits to our reserves and interpretation is provided through our close links with local schools.

The UK's favourite bird!Thanks to its bright red breast, it's familiar throughout the year and especially during Winter....
30/05/2026

The UK's favourite bird!

Thanks to its bright red breast, it's familiar throughout the year and especially during Winter.

Males and females look identical, young birds have no red breast and are spotted with golden brown.

Robins sing nearly all year round and despite their cute appearance, they are aggressively territorial and are quick to drive away intruders.

Robins like to sing from a perch, whether that be a fence post, a tree branch or the handle of your garden spade.

Just look at this wonderful, hard working, happy gang!Our amazing volunteers work so hard to maintain our reserves and w...
27/05/2026

Just look at this wonderful, hard working, happy gang!

Our amazing volunteers work so hard to maintain our reserves and we are thankful for every single one of them.

If you enjoy outdoor work, and would like to get involved, look out for our next Task Day and come along and join in.

When is a seagull NOT a Seagull??!A herring gull is a specific, large species of bird, while "seagull" is a colloquial n...
24/05/2026

When is a seagull NOT a Seagull??!

A herring gull is a specific, large species of bird, while "seagull" is a colloquial nickname for many types of gulls.

Herring gulls are recognized by their pale grey backs, pink legs, and a red spot on their yellow bills. They are often the culprits behind "chip-stealing" at the seaside, behaving as scavengers.

Gulls may have earned their reputation for being aggressive, but their behaviour is largely created by their environment and our own actions. By reducing human food sources, discouraging feeding, and taking preventive measures, we can help maintain a balance between people and these resourceful birds.

The English name, dandelion, is a borrowing of the French dent de lion meaning "lion's tooth", referring to the coarsely...
21/05/2026

The English name, dandelion, is a borrowing of the French dent de lion meaning "lion's tooth", referring to the coarsely toothed leaves.

The plant is also known as blowball, cankerwort, doon-head-clock, witch's gowan, milk witch, lion's-tooth, yellow-gowan, Irish daisy, monks-head, priest's-crown, and puff-ball; other common names include faceclock, pee-a-bed, wet-a-bed, swine's snout, white endive, and wild endive.

The English folk name "piss-a-bed" (and the equivalent French pissenlit) refers to the strong diuretic effect of the plant's leaves. In Swedish, it is called maskros (worm rose) after the thrip nymphs usually present on the plant.

I just love those branching, tree-like, or fan-shaped channels left in the sand as water drains back to the sea. They ar...
18/05/2026

I just love those branching, tree-like, or fan-shaped channels left in the sand as water drains back to the sea. They are known as rill marks.

Rill Marks: These are small, delicate channels carved into sand by trickling water (usually backwash) as the tide falls.

Dendritic Drainage Patterns: Because rill marks branch out like trees, they are often described as having a "dendritic" pattern, similar to how river systems look from above.

Current Crescent Marks: If the mark is a small, curved scour or "moat" specifically wrapped around a rock or shell, it is often called a crescent mark, which is formed by the flow of water around an object.

Why do they form? As the tide rises, the gaps between sand grains fill with water. When the tide falls, this trapped water is pulled by gravity and works its way back to the sea, creating these channels as it exits the sand. They are especially common in fine-grained, well-sorted sand

We are fortunate to have a small but dedicated group of volunteers that regularly turn out with Andy, Charlie and Peter ...
16/05/2026

We are fortunate to have a small but dedicated group of volunteers that regularly turn out with Andy, Charlie and Peter to perform conservation work on our reserves.

TASK DAY ALERT!!

Tomorrow - Sunday May 17th – Ivy House and grounds maintenance day.

We hope you can make it and get to see how we manage the nature reserves.

Find your wellies! Or sturdy shoes! Come along and help the team.

Bring a drink and some food. Meet at Ivy House for 10am on the day. Tools are provided but bring gloves and stout footwear. Tasks usually last around 3-4 hours.

Please note that any children must be supervised by attending adults to ensure their safety.

We are fortunate to have a small but dedicated group of volunteers that regularly turn out with Andy, Charlie and Peter ...
13/05/2026

We are fortunate to have a small but dedicated group of volunteers that regularly turn out with Andy, Charlie and Peter to perform conservation work on our reserves.

TASK DAY ALERT!!

This Sunday May 17th – Ivy House and grounds maintenance day.

We hope you can make it and get to see how we manage the nature reserves.

Find your wellies! Or sturdy shoes! Come along and help the team.

Bring a drink and some food. Meet at Ivy House for 10am on the day. Tools are provided but bring gloves and stout footwear. Tasks usually last around 3-4 hours.

Please note that any children must be supervised by attending adults to ensure their safety.

We are fortunate to have a small but dedicated group of volunteers that regularly turn out with Andy, Charlie and Peter ...
10/05/2026

We are fortunate to have a small but dedicated group of volunteers that regularly turn out with Andy, Charlie and Peter to perform conservation work on our reserves.

TASK DAY ALERT!!

Next Sunday May 17th – Ivy House and grounds maintenance day.

We hope you can make it and get to see how we manage the nature reserves.

Find your wellies! Or sturdy shoes! Come along and help the team.

Bring a drink and some food. Meet at Ivy House for 10am on the day. Tools are provided but bring gloves and stout footwear. Tasks usually last around 3-4 hours.

Please note that any children must be supervised by attending adults to ensure their safety.

Dandelions are vital early spring pollinators, offering one of the first abundant sources of nectar and pollen for bees,...
08/05/2026

Dandelions are vital early spring pollinators, offering one of the first abundant sources of nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and hoverflies when other food is scarce.

They support biodiversity, providing food for over 50 insect species and birds, while their deep taproots improve soil health by aerating it and bringing nutrients to the surface.

Who needs a perfect lawn anyway??!

Sometimes nature loves us back without even trying!
06/05/2026

Sometimes nature loves us back without even trying!

Address

Ivy House South Carr Dales Road Hollym
Withernsea
HU192SQ

Telephone

+441964623261

Website

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