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Ravenser Odd - Artists impression.

An illustration based impression of the isle/town/promontory of Ravenser Odd. An early (13C to mid 14th C) medieval settlement on the coast of East Yorkshire / Holderness, lost to inundation from the sea in the mid 14th Century, having only existed for about a century or so.
The artwork Commissioned by and based on the research of Phil Mathison (tinyurl.com/PhilMathisonAmazonAuthor), a local history author (here in East Yorkshire).
Any errors in interpretation are undoubtedly mine.
The finished version is here, plus some earlier and alternate versions so you can see the changes as the illustration evolved.
It’s a fascinating bit of history, and one I’ve been toying with dealing with for a while (having already appeared in some of my work - https://www.artstation.com/artwork/9mGA3L ), in the form of a comic on this and some interwoven subjects.
So it was great to be involved.

There is also the model, this is a more recent visualisation, as I have been asked to create a comic (as yet unpublished) based on the history available. The model much like the painting and other illustrations before it, are highly speculative, and any omissions, mistakes are mine alone.
Regardless, thanks to Emily, Kath, Emma and Malcolm for all the research help so far.

The final version. With sand banks on the estuary side, the remains of a small wreck in the water to the eastern end of the town, and the must more discrete chapel and bell tower added/changed.

The final version. With sand banks on the estuary side, the remains of a small wreck in the water to the eastern end of the town, and the must more discrete chapel and bell tower added/changed.

An earlier version with a smaller spread of buildings, and the earlier larger chapel tower still in place.

An earlier version with a smaller spread of buildings, and the earlier larger chapel tower still in place.

Earlier version with a much smaller size overall. And a higher viewpoint to show the shape of the land bridge.

Earlier version with a much smaller size overall. And a higher viewpoint to show the shape of the land bridge.

An alternate version of the final image (or thereabouts), just from a lower angle. I didn’t think this worked as well as an explainatory tool, as the land bridge was so hidden behind the town it’s self I might just look like an island.

An alternate version of the final image (or thereabouts), just from a lower angle. I didn’t think this worked as well as an explainatory tool, as the land bridge was so hidden behind the town it’s self I might just look like an island.

And another version in a faux older pen and ink style, though I much prefer the painted versions.

And another version in a faux older pen and ink style, though I much prefer the painted versions.

…Ravenser Odd as it appeared in my comic for Hull’s Maritime City project a couple of years earlier.

…Ravenser Odd as it appeared in my comic for Hull’s Maritime City project a couple of years earlier.

Okay, so this is more recent. As part of the comic project above, I’m now working on a third instalment that is wholly focussed on Ravenser Odd, in it a character builds a model of the town. This is my attempt at that. This is just my interpretation…

Okay, so this is more recent. As part of the comic project above, I’m now working on a third instalment that is wholly focussed on Ravenser Odd, in it a character builds a model of the town. This is my attempt at that. This is just my interpretation…

An early paint over of the then still unfinished model…

An early paint over of the then still unfinished model…

This is that same model after priming, somehow just throwing grey over everything just makes it work. As I mention elsewhere, this is not based on any archaeology, just on my inferences after reading about the island.

This is that same model after priming, somehow just throwing grey over everything just makes it work. As I mention elsewhere, this is not based on any archaeology, just on my inferences after reading about the island.

A view of the same model from the other shore, looking down more directly on tanneries, smoke houses and shipyard.

A view of the same model from the other shore, looking down more directly on tanneries, smoke houses and shipyard.

An aerial view of the map with some of the notes explaining my thought process in developing this particular plan of Ravenser Odd.

An aerial view of the map with some of the notes explaining my thought process in developing this particular plan of Ravenser Odd.

The model before priming, here you can see how confusing the model is with all those colours from the various monopoly houses.

The model before priming, here you can see how confusing the model is with all those colours from the various monopoly houses.

A better angle of the island, looking across and eastward. The spit of land that joins to the mainland at low tide can be seen at the top right.

A better angle of the island, looking across and eastward. The spit of land that joins to the mainland at low tide can be seen at the top right.

Here’s a video collating some of the above images and with a little discussion over the top. The video’s description has a little more information in it too, both about the models inception and reasoning.

Here’s me wondering if the island may have been even bigger than my first guess, accommodating the notion that one land owner might have “lost 145 properties” as Ravenser Odd began to be eroded by the sea…

Here’s me wondering if the island may have been even bigger than my first guess, accommodating the notion that one land owner might have “lost 145 properties” as Ravenser Odd began to be eroded by the sea…

Here’s a shot of that Kogge/Cog conversion.

Here’s a shot of that Kogge/Cog conversion.

I wanted to extend the newer style houses from the southern edge and the large harbour wall, so I removed some of the previous ones and got to adding them in…

I wanted to extend the newer style houses from the southern edge and the large harbour wall, so I removed some of the previous ones and got to adding them in…

The blocks in this image are basically placeholders for more of those newer style houses… taking the newer part of town all the way down that south west side…

The blocks in this image are basically placeholders for more of those newer style houses… taking the newer part of town all the way down that south west side…

Here’s the overview of the whole island as it now looks.

Here’s the overview of the whole island as it now looks.

In this shot you can see the newly replaced houses stretching around to that new harbour, plus the bridge connecting the industrial northern island to the southern wharf and dwelling half.

In this shot you can see the newly replaced houses stretching around to that new harbour, plus the bridge connecting the industrial northern island to the southern wharf and dwelling half.

An earlier shot of that Cog/Kogge prior to the sail being added. It was a conversion from a meeple I picked up on Etsy.

An earlier shot of that Cog/Kogge prior to the sail being added. It was a conversion from a meeple I picked up on Etsy.

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