# List of shoals and sandbanks in the southern North Sea

Shoals and sandbanks are characteristic underwater seabed features of the southern North Sea and the eastern English Channel. The relatively shallow water depth allows tidal currents to transport, configure and alter seabed materials, such as sand, shells, clay, and gravel, into elongated banks or shoals of shallow water.

## Sandbanks and shoals
### Formation

In the southern North Sea the Spring Tide range is in excess of 7 metres. The large tidal amplitude produces tidal currents of 1.5 metres per second (m/s) on the flood tide, and 1.35 m/s during the ebb tide. Water flows parallel to the shore and this is reflected in the orientation of sandbanks. Typically, sandbanks of the English Channel and southern North Sea rise 10 to 25 m above the sea floor and are 10 to 30 km long and 1 to 3 km wide. The volume of material in some of the banks has been estimated at between 70 and 1100 Million m$^3$.
Strong eddies and rip tides occur in the vicinity of many shoals, and the sea can break heavily over shoals especially when the wind is against the tidal current. Sandbanks and shoals are often marked by buoys. There are usually north and south marks, and on large shoals, east and west marks.

### Extent

The table below is a list of the named sandbanks and shoals of the southern North Sea, the Dover Strait (Pas-de-Calais) and the eastern English Channel (La Manche). The geographical extent is eastwards from a line (00°14'E) extending south from Beachy Head England to Étretat France in the English Channel, through the Straits of Dover, then north through the southern North Sea to a line extending east from Berwick-upon-Tweed England (55°50’N) to Ringkobing Fjord Denmark.
This area includes the shipping forecast areas of Wight (part); Dover; Thames; Tyne; Humber; Dogger and German Bight (part). It includes the territorial waters and exclusive economic zones of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
The Thames Estuary is defined as from the Nore Sand eastwards to a line from North Foreland to Harwich.
The Humber is defined as west of the Outer Sea Reach buoy 00° 06’E.

### Abbreviations

SNS – Southern North Sea; S-N – South to North; E-W – East to West; SW-NE – South-West to North-East; SE-NW – South-East to North-West.

### List

A tabulated list of shoals and sandbanks in the southern North Sea, Dover Strait and English Channel.
Shoals and sandbanks of the southern North Sea, Dover Strait and the eastern English Channel :
| Name | Country | Location | Coordinates at centre of bank or shoal | Orientation | Length, km | Width, km | Remarks |
| Akkaertbank | Belgium | SNS | 51°23’N 02°49’E | SW-NE | 7.4 | 0.5 | |
| Aldeburgh Napes | UK | SNS | 52°09’N 01°43’E | S-N | 10 | 1 | |
| Aldeburgh Ridge | UK | SNS | 52°08’N 01°37’E | S-N | 7 | 1 | |
| Anrum Bank | Germany | SNS | 54°38’N 08°00’E | S-N | 23.4 | | |
| Banc Breedt | France | SNS | 51°07’N 02°22E | SW-NE | 24 | 2 | |
| Banc de Snouw | France | SNS | 51°04’N 02°15’E | E-W | 7.5 | 1 | |
| Barmade Bank | UK | SNS | 55°00’N 00°00’ | - | - | - | |
| Barrow | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°37’N 01°10’E | SW-NE | 5.5 | 3.5 | The adjacent Barrow Deep used for dumping sewage sludge 1889-1998 |
| Bassurelle Bank | UK & France | Dover Strait | 50°38’N 01°05’E | SW-NE | 15 | 2.5 | |
| Bassurelle de la Somme | France | English Channel | 50°12’N 01°22’E | SW-NE | 5.2 | 0.6 | |
| Bassure de Baas | France | English Channel | 50°27'N 01°20'E | | 56 | | |
| Battur | France | English Channel | 50°22'N 01°18'E | | 14 | | |
| Bawdsey Bank | UK | SNS | 51°59’N 01°33’E | S-N | 12.5 | 1.5 | |
| Bergues Bank | France & Belgium | SNS | 51°15’N 02°18’E | SW-NE | 11 | 2 | |
| Blakeney Overfalls | UK | SNS | 53°01’N 01°11’E | E-W | 4.0 | 1.0 | |
| Bligh Bank | Belgium | SNS | 51°33’N 02°35’E | SW-NE | 5.5 | 0.5 | |
| Boulder Banks | UK | English Channel | 50°52’N 00°47’E | - | 0.6 | 0.6 | |
| Boulders Bank | UK | SNS | 54°25’N 01°35’E | - | - | - | Dogger Bank |
| Broad Fourteens | Netherlands | SNS | 53°00’N 00°03’E | S-N | | | Named from depth of 14 fathoms |
| Broadstairs Knoll | UK | SNS | 51°21’N 01°29’E | - | 5.5 | 5.5 | |
| Broken Bank | UK | SNS | 53°19’N 02°12’E | SE-NW | 35 | 1 | Volume of bank: 360 Million m$^3$ |
| Brown Bank, Brown Ridge | UK & Netherlands | SNS | 52°40’N 03°15’E | S-N | 30 | 2 | Bruine Bank |
| Bruceys Garden | UK | SNS | 54°50’N 00°50’E | - | - | - | |
| Bullock Bank | France | English Channel | 50°44'N 01°05''E | | 11 | | |
| Burcom Sand | UK | Humber | 53°35’N 00°04’W | SE-NW | 2.5 | 1 | |
| Buiten Ratel | Belgium | SNS | 51°15’N 02°31’E | SW-NE | 14.8 | 2 | |
| Bull Sand | UK | Humber | 53°33’N 00°05’E | SE-NW | 4.0 | 1.5 | |
| Buxey Sand | UK | SNS | 51°41’N 01°27’E | SW-NE | 9 | 4 | |
| Chequer Shoal | UK | Humber | 53°33’N 00°10’E | E-W | 3.5 | 2 | |
| Cleaver Bank | Netherlands | SNS | 54°10'N 03°08'E | | | | Klaverbank |
| Coal Pit | UK | SNS | 53°29’N 01°46’E | | | | |
| Cork Sand | UK | SNS | 51°53’N 01°24’E | S-N | 8 | 4.5 | |
| Corton Sands | UK | SNS | 52°35’N 01°47’E | S-N | | | Position and depth changes |
| Cromer Knoll | UK | SNS | 53°18’N 01°18’E | S-N | 5 | 1 | |
| Cutler Shoal | UK | SNS | 51°59’N 01°27’E | SW-NE | 2.5 | 0.5 | |
| Docking Shoal | UK | SNS | 53°10’N 01°45’E | - | 13.5 | 13.5 | |
| Dogger Bank | UK | SNS | 54°43’N 02°46’E | - | 260 | 100 | Windfarm |
| Dogger Bight | UK | SNS | 54°19’N 01°50’E | - | - | - | Dogger Bank |
| Dogger North Shoal | UK | SNS | 54°55’N 01°35’E | - | 17.1 | 21.6 | Dogger Bank |
| Dogger Tail End | Germany & Netherlands | SNS | 55°29’N 04°00’E | - | - | - | |
| Drillstone | UK | SNS | 51°26’N 01°41’E | | | | |
| Dudgeon Shoal | UK | SNS | 53°17’N 00°56’E | SE-NW | 9.75 | 7.5 | Windfarm |
| Dunwich Bank | UK | SNS | 52°14’N 01°40’E | S-N | 3 | 1 | |
| Dyck Central | France | SNS | 51°07’N 02°12’E | SW-NE | 8 | 1.5 | |
| Dyck Occidental | France | SNS | 51°05’N 02°00 | SW-NE | 18.5 | 2 | |
| Dyck Oriental | France | SNS | 51°13’N 02°23’E | SW-NE | 13 | 2 | |
| East Barrow | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°35’N 01°10’E | SW-NE | 9 | 3.5 | |
| East Spaniard | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°25’N 01°01’E | E-W | | | |
| Eastermost Shoal | UK | SNS | 54°40’N 02°30’E | - | 54 | 40.5 | Dogger Bank |
| Engelsmanplaat | Netherlands | SNS | 53°27'N 06°03'E | | | | |
| Fairy Bank | France | SNS | 51°23’N 02°20’E | SW-NE | 5.5 | 0.5 | |
| Fisher Bank | Denmark | SNS | | | | | |
| Flemish Banks | Belgium | SNS | 51°17'N 02°38E | | | | |
| Foulness Sand | UK | SNS | 51°37’N 01°02’E | SW-NE | 11 | 4.5 | Extends from shore |
| Four Fathoms Sand Ridge | UK | English Channel | 50°48’N 00°39’E | SW-NE | 5.4 | 0.6 | |
| Galloper | UK | SNS | 51°46’N 01°57’E | S-N | 5.5 | 1 | Windfarm |
| Girdler | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°30’N 01°08’E | E-W | 3 | 1 | |
| Goodwin Sands | UK | SNS | 51°16’N 01°21’E | SW-NW | 22 | | |
| Grandes Écamias | France | English Channel | 50°59’N 00°54’E | E-W | 5 | 0.6 | |
| Großer Knechtsand | Germany | SNS | 53°50'N 08°21'E | | | | |
| Gunfleet Sand | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°45’N 01°15’E | SW-NE | 23 | 3 | Abandoned lighthouse; Windfarm |
| Haddock Bank | UK | SNS | 53°19’N 01°31’E | SE-NW | | | |
| Haile Sand | UK | Humber | 53°32’N 00°13’E | - | | | |
| Haisborough Sand | UK | SNS | 52°54’N 01°42’E | SE-NW | 16 | 2 | Volume of bank: 530 Million m$^3$ |
| Hammond Knoll | UK | SNS | 52°52’N 01°55’E | SE-NW | 9.7 | | Volume of bank: 99 Million m$^3$ |
| Hastings Shoals | UK | English Channel | 50°49’N 00°34’E | SW-NE | | | |
| Hearty Knoll | UK | SNS | 52°46’N 02°10’E | SE-NW | | | Volume of bank: 120 Million m$^3$ |
| Helgoland | Germany | SNS | 54°12’N 07°55’E | - | 9 | 9 | |
| Hessle Sand | UK | Humber | 53°43’N 01°25’W | E-W | 2 | 1 | |
| Hewett Ridge | UK | SNS | 52°52’N 02°00’E | SE-NW | 28 | 4 | Gas field. Volume of bank: 190 Million m$^3$ |
| Holm Sand | UK | SNS | 52°29’N 01°47’E | S-N | 11 | 1.5 | |
| Horse of Willingdon | UK | English Channel | 50°45’N 01°02’E | E-W | 3 | 1 | |
| Hull Middle | UK | Humber | 53°42’N 00°22’W | E-W | 3.5 | 1 | |
| Indefatigable Bank 1, 2 & 3 | UK | SNS | 53°30’N 02°23’E | SE-NW | | 4 | Gas field. Volume of bank: 85 Million m$^3$ (1), 69 Million m$^3$ (2), 310 Million m$^3$ (3) |
| Inner Bank | UK | SNS | 53°12’N 02°01’E | SE-NW | 18 | 1 | Volume of bank: 110 Million m$^3$ |
| Inner Bank | UK | SNS | 54°20’N 00°30’E | - | - | - | Dogger Bank |
| Inner Dowsing | UK | SNS | 53°19’N 00°35’E | S-N | 7.5 | 3 | Windfarm |
| Inner Gabbard | UK | SNS | 51°55’N 01°54’E | S-N | 16 | 1.5 | Windfarm |
| Inner Silver Pit | UK | SNS | 53°32′N 00°47′E | | | | |
| In Ratel | France | SNS | 51°07’N 02°16’E | SW-NE | 6.5 | 1 | |
| In Ruytingen | France | SNS | 51°13’N 02°17’E | SW-NE | 12 | 5.5 | |
| Jim Howe Bank | UK | SNS | 52°57’N 02°25’E | SE-NW | | | |
| Kachelotplate | Germany | SNS | 53°39'N 06°49'E | | | | |
| Kentish Knock | UK | SNS | 51°37’N 01°38’E | S-N | 13.5 | 2.5 | |
| Knock John | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°34’N 01°04’E | SW-NE | 3 | 1 | Maunsell fort |
| Kobbergrund | Denmark | SNS | 57°12'N 11°15'E | | | | |
| Koresand | Denmark | SNS | 55°15'N 08°29'E | | | | |
| Kwintebank | Belgium | SNS | 51°15’N 02°38’E | SW-NE | 11 | 2 | |
| Le Colbart | France | Dover Strait | 50°53’N 01°20’E | SW-NE | 16 | 1 | Also called The Ridge |
| Leman Bank | UK | SNS | 53°08’N 01°55’E | SE-NW | 42 | 11 | Gas field. Volume of bank: 840 Million m$^3$ |
| Les Ridens | France | Dover Strait | 50°45'N 01°18'E | | | | Several shoals |
| Long Sand | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°37’N 01°30’E | SW-NE | 33 | 7.5 | |
| Maplin Sand | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°33'N 00°47’E | SW-NE | 23 | 6.1 | Extends from coast |
| Maplin Spit | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°36’N 01°06’E | SW-NE | 4.5 | 1 | |
| Margate Sand | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°26’N 01°20’E | E-W | 9 | 2 | |
| Middelbank | Netherlands | SNS | 51°40’N 03°22’E | SW-NE | 14.8 | 0.5 | |
| Middelkerke Bank | Belgium | SNS | 51°15’N 02°43’E | SW-NE | 13 | 2.5 | |
| Middle Cross Sand | UK | SNS | 52°39’N 01°52’E | S-N | 3 | 1 | |
| Middle Sand | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°27’N 01°02’E | SW-NE | 6 | 1.5 | |
| Middle Shoal | UK | Humber | 53°37’N 00°02’W | SE-NW | 4.0 | 1 | |
| Mouse | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°32’N 01°04’E | SW-NE | 4.5 | 0.5 | |
| Newarp Banks | UK | SNS | 52°42’N 02°00’E | S-N | 8.5 | 2 | |
| Noordhinder Bank | Belgium | SNS | 51°39′N 02°41′E | S-N | 11 | 1 | |
| Nieuwpoort Bank | Belgium | SNS | 51°13’N 02°41’E | SW-NE | 9.25 | 1 | |
| Nore Sand | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°29’N 00°46’E | E-W | 6 | 1 | |
| North Cross Sand | UK | SNS | 52°45’N 01°52’E | S-N | 7 | 1 | |
| North Falls | UK | SNS | 51°40’N 01°57’E | S-N | 11 | 1 | |
| Oaze | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°30’N 01°00’E | SW-NE | 5.5 | 1 | |
| Oost Dyck | Belgium | SNS | 51°18’N 02°29’E | SW-NE | 14.8 | 1.5 | |
| Oostende Bank | Belgium | SNS | 51°16’N 02°48’E | SW-NE | 15 | 2 | |
| Oosthinder | Belgium | SNS | 51°32’N 02°38’E | SW-NE | 16.6 | 1.5 | |
| Out Ruytingen | France | Dover Strait | 51°14’N 02°17°E | SW-NE | 33 | 2 | |
| Outer Bank | UK | SNS | 54°30’N 01°05’E | - | - | - | Dogger Bank |
| Outer Dowsing | UK | SNS | 53°25’N 01°08’E | SE-NW | 19.5 | 1 | Windfarm |
| Outer Gabbard | UK | SNS | 51°58’N 02°03’E | S-N | 5 | 2 | Windfarm |
| Outer Silver Pit | UK | SNS | 54°00′N 02°00′E | | | | |
| Ower Bank | UK | SNS | 53°14’N 01°52’E | SE-NW | 45 | 1 | Volume of bank: 730 Million m$^3$ |
| Paardenmarkt | Belgian | SNS | 51°21'N 03°17'E | | | | |
| Pan Sand | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°28’N 01°10’E | E-W | 3.5 | 1 | |
| Raan | Netherlands | SNS | 51°27’N 03°20’E | - | 22 | 6 | |
| Race Bank | UK | SNS | 53°12’N 00°51’E | SE-NW | 21.0 | 5.5 | Windfarm |
| Red Sand | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°28’N 01°00’E | E-W | 2 | 0.5 | Maunsell fort |
| Petits Écamias | France | English Channel | 50°01’N 00°53’E | E-W | 5.2 | 1.5 | |
| Richel | Netherlands | SNS | 53°17N 05°08'E | | | | |
| Quemer | France | English Channel | 50°15’N 01°18’E | - | 10 | - | |
| Ridins de Dieppe | France | English Channel | 50°06’N 01°08’E | - | 10.4 | 10.4 | |
| Ridins de Tréport | France | English Channel | 50°05’N 01°16’E | - | 5 | 0.6 | |
| Rosse Spit | UK | Humber | 53°30’N 00°15’E | SW-NE | 4.5 | 2 | |
| Rough Shoals | UK | SNS | 51°54’N 01°30’E | S-N | 10 | 8 | HM Fort Roughs |
| Royal Sovereign Shoals | UK | English Channel | 50°45’N 00°26’E | S-N | 4 | 1 | |
| Sandettie Bank | France & UK | Dover Strait | 51°09′N 01°47′E | SW-NE | 27 | 5 | |
| Schouwenbank | Netherlands | SNS | 51°48′N 03°25′E | SW-NE | 18.5 | 1 | |
| Scroby Sands | UK | SNS | 52°38’N 01°47’E | S-N | 14 | 2 | Windfarm |
| Sheringham Shoal | UK | SNS | 53°03’N 01°10’E | E-W | 10 | 1.0 | |
| Shingles | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°31’N 01°13’E | E-W | 6.5 | 5.0 | |
| Shipwash | UK | SNS | 51°58’N 01°37’E | S-N | 18 | 2 | |
| Shivering Sand | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°30’N 01°24’E | SW-NE | 3.5 | 0.5 | Maunsell fort |
| Simonszand | Netherlands | SNS | 53°31'N 06°24E | | | | |
| Sizewell Bank | UK | SNS | 52°10’N 01°40’E | S-N | 4 | 1 | |
| Smal Bank | France & Belgium | SNS | 51°06’N 02°30’E | SW-NE | 26 | 2 | |
| Smiths Knoll | UK | SNS | 52°52’N 02°13’E | S-N | 28 | 1 | Volume of bank: 390 Million m$^3$ |
| Sole Pit High | UK | SNS | 53°35’N 01°23’E | SW-NE | 7 | 1 | |
| South Cross Sand | UK | SNS | 52°34’N 01°51’E | S-N | 9 | 1 | |
| South Dogger Ground | UK | SNS | 54°18’N 02°25’E | - | - | - | Dogger Bank |
| South Falls | UK | SNS | 51°21’N 01°47’E | S-N | 28 | | |
| South Shoal | UK | Humber | 53°36’N 00°00’ | SE-NW | 3.5 | 1 | |
| Spaniard | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°27’N 01°03’E | E-W | 1 | 0.5 | |
| SouthWest Patch | UK | SNS | 54°35’N 02°05’E | - | 67.5 | 22.5 | Dogger Bank |
| Spile | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°07’N 00°57’E | E-W | 2 | 0.5 | |
| Steenbanken | Netherlands | SNS | 51°41’N 02°25’E | SW-NE | 11 | 0.5 | |
| Stephensons Shoal | UK | English Channel | 50°53’N 00°54’E | E-W | 5 | - | |
| Stroombanc | Belgium | SNS | 51°13’N 02°48’E | SW-NE | 13 | 2 | |
| Sunk Sand | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°39’N 01°15’E | SW-NE | 24 | 3 | Maunsell fort (ruin) |
| Swarte Bank | UK | SNS | 51°24’N 02°13’E | SE-NW | 41 | 1 | Volume of bank: 440 Million m$^3$ |
| Sylt Outer Reef | Germany | SNS | 55°06’N 07°35’E | - | - | - | |
| Terschellinger Bank | Netherlands | SNS | 53°32’N 05°08’E | SE-NW | - | - | |
| Tertius (sandbank) | Germany | SNS | 54°08'N 08°42E | | | | |
| The Hills | UK | SNS | 54°21’N 00°60’E | - | - | - | |
| Thornton Ridge or Bank | Belgium | SNS | 51°34’N 03°00’E | SW-NE | 6 | 1 | Windfarm |
| Tizard Bank | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°33’N 01°12’E | E-W | 2.5 | 0.5 | |
| Tongue Sand | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°31’N 01°13’E | E-W | 7.5 | 1.5 | Maunsell fort (ruin) |
| Triton Knoll | UK | SNS | 53°23’N 01°00’E | SE-NW | 25.5 | | Windfarm |
| Varne Bank | UK | Dover Strait | 51°00’N 01°23’E | SW-NE | 9.3 | 1 | |
| Vergoyer Banks | France | English Channel | 50°33'N 01°15'E | | 24 | | |
| Weiss Bank | Germany | SNS | 55°00’N 06°00’E | - | - | - | |
| Well Bank | UK | SNS | 53°14’N 02°11’E | SE-NW | 57 | 2 | Volume of bank: 1100 Million m$^3$ |
| West Barrow | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°35’N 01°56’E | SW-NE | 13 | 1.8 | |
| West Dyck | France | Dover Strait | 51°03’N 01°51’E | | | | |
| Westhinder | Belgium | SNS | 51°28’N 02°31’E | SW-NE | 22 | 2 | |
| Whitaker Spit | UK | Thames Estuary | 51°40’N 01°07’E | SW-NE | 6 | 1 | |
| Winterton Ridge | UK | SNS | 52°50’N 02°02’E | SE-NW | 8 | 0.5 | Volume of bank: 105 Million m$^3$ |