Today, the area is a £15-a-night caravan park.
But a million years ago, it was the birthplace of British civilisation.
What is now the Manor Caravan Park in the coastal village of Happisburgh (pronounce "hays-bru"), Norfolk is also the site of the oldest-known human settlement in Britain.
Scientists now believe early humans created their first settlement at the coastal site - which lies north-east of the city of Norwich - after finding a series of stone tools and fossilised animal remains there.
The people who lived there may been of the homo antecessor or the homo erectus species.
Is this the birthplace of British civilisation? One million-year-old remains of the first settlers found buried under a £15-a-night caravan park in Norfolk
Discoveries on the site of Manor caravan park in Happisburgh, Norfolk
Scientists believe early humans created their first settlement in the area
Dating of 1,000,000-year-old artefacts makes them the oldest found in UK
Species who lived there were primitive predecessors of modern humans
They could have been the Homo antecessor or Homo erectus species
Discoveries to be revealed in a new Natural History Museum exhibition
By Mark Duell
12 January 2014
Daily Mail
In the area nowadays you can find a £15-a-night caravan site with coin-operated hot showers.
But while the Manor Caravan Park in Happisburgh, Norfolk, might not sound luxurious today - it's certainly a major improvement on what it would have been like there 1million years ago.
Scientists now believe early humans created their first settlement at the coastal site - which lies north-east of Norwich - after finding a series of stone tools and fossilised animal remains there.
On the coast: Scientists now believe early humans created their first settlement at the Manor Caravan Park (seen from above) in Happisburgh, Norfolk - after finding tools and fossils there
Happisburgh
Early days: An artist's impression of Happisburgh, Norfolk, when scientists believe it was occupied by an ancient race of humans - who could have been the Homo antecessor or Homo erectus species
The artefacts have been dated to nearly 1million years ago, which makes them the oldest found in Britain - and suggests the species who lived there were primitive predecessors of modern humans.
They could have been the Homo antecessor or Homo erectus species, who both had comparatively small brains and might have even been cannibals as well as hunters, reported The Sunday Times.
The dramatic discoveries are set to be revealed next month in the ‘Britain: One Million Years of the Human Story’ exhibition at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, Central London.
Scientists believe the site the early humans lived on was on the River Thames, which flowed out into the North Sea at that time - and are finding the north Norfolk coast to be a goldmine of artefacts.
Map: The caravan park in Happisburgh is located on the north Norfolk coast, north-east of Norwich
Experts are making many new discoveries with the coastline being one of the UK’s fastest-eroding - but they are yet to find any human remains from our predecessors, reported The Sunday Times.
Professor Chris Stringer from the museum said: ‘From the earliest human fossils in Britain to one of the oldest wooden tools in the world, you will be surprised by the history hidden beneath your feet.
‘The story behind the humans who inhabited ancient Britain has taken us more than a decade to piece together. This gives us an exciting glimpse into our past (and) leads us to reflect on our future.’
Temperatures when the first humans arrived in Britain would have been several degrees colder than nowadays - and they would have also faced dangerous wildlife including sabre-toothed cats.
However, they would have been attracted by the chance of hunting mammoths and bison - as well as being able to walk to mainland Europe, with Kent connected to Germany by land at that time.
HOMO ANTECESSOR: 6FT CANNIBALS WHO LIVED BY THE RIVER THAMES
We still know relatively few facts about the homo antecessor, but it is believed they were the first Britons because they were the only known human species to live in Europe at the time.
Fossil remains found in Spain suggest they had stronger brows and bigger teeth than modern humans - but also smaller brains and potentially even cannibalistic behaviour.
They would have lived on the flood plains and marshes that bordered the ancient route of the River Thames in Norfolk, alongside sabre-toothed cats, hyenas, horses, mammoths and deer.
They measured around 5ft 6in to 6ft, weighed between 9st and 14st and are believed to have been right-handed. However, no complete skeletons have ever been found.
Read more: How British civilisation began at a Norfolk caravan park 1,000,000 years ago | Mail Online
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But a million years ago, it was the birthplace of British civilisation.
What is now the Manor Caravan Park in the coastal village of Happisburgh (pronounce "hays-bru"), Norfolk is also the site of the oldest-known human settlement in Britain.
Scientists now believe early humans created their first settlement at the coastal site - which lies north-east of the city of Norwich - after finding a series of stone tools and fossilised animal remains there.
The people who lived there may been of the homo antecessor or the homo erectus species.
Is this the birthplace of British civilisation? One million-year-old remains of the first settlers found buried under a £15-a-night caravan park in Norfolk
Discoveries on the site of Manor caravan park in Happisburgh, Norfolk
Scientists believe early humans created their first settlement in the area
Dating of 1,000,000-year-old artefacts makes them the oldest found in UK
Species who lived there were primitive predecessors of modern humans
They could have been the Homo antecessor or Homo erectus species
Discoveries to be revealed in a new Natural History Museum exhibition
By Mark Duell
12 January 2014
Daily Mail
In the area nowadays you can find a £15-a-night caravan site with coin-operated hot showers.
But while the Manor Caravan Park in Happisburgh, Norfolk, might not sound luxurious today - it's certainly a major improvement on what it would have been like there 1million years ago.
Scientists now believe early humans created their first settlement at the coastal site - which lies north-east of Norwich - after finding a series of stone tools and fossilised animal remains there.
On the coast: Scientists now believe early humans created their first settlement at the Manor Caravan Park (seen from above) in Happisburgh, Norfolk - after finding tools and fossils there
Happisburgh
Early days: An artist's impression of Happisburgh, Norfolk, when scientists believe it was occupied by an ancient race of humans - who could have been the Homo antecessor or Homo erectus species
The artefacts have been dated to nearly 1million years ago, which makes them the oldest found in Britain - and suggests the species who lived there were primitive predecessors of modern humans.
They could have been the Homo antecessor or Homo erectus species, who both had comparatively small brains and might have even been cannibals as well as hunters, reported The Sunday Times.
The dramatic discoveries are set to be revealed next month in the ‘Britain: One Million Years of the Human Story’ exhibition at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, Central London.
Scientists believe the site the early humans lived on was on the River Thames, which flowed out into the North Sea at that time - and are finding the north Norfolk coast to be a goldmine of artefacts.
Map: The caravan park in Happisburgh is located on the north Norfolk coast, north-east of Norwich
Experts are making many new discoveries with the coastline being one of the UK’s fastest-eroding - but they are yet to find any human remains from our predecessors, reported The Sunday Times.
Professor Chris Stringer from the museum said: ‘From the earliest human fossils in Britain to one of the oldest wooden tools in the world, you will be surprised by the history hidden beneath your feet.
‘The story behind the humans who inhabited ancient Britain has taken us more than a decade to piece together. This gives us an exciting glimpse into our past (and) leads us to reflect on our future.’
Temperatures when the first humans arrived in Britain would have been several degrees colder than nowadays - and they would have also faced dangerous wildlife including sabre-toothed cats.
However, they would have been attracted by the chance of hunting mammoths and bison - as well as being able to walk to mainland Europe, with Kent connected to Germany by land at that time.
HOMO ANTECESSOR: 6FT CANNIBALS WHO LIVED BY THE RIVER THAMES
We still know relatively few facts about the homo antecessor, but it is believed they were the first Britons because they were the only known human species to live in Europe at the time.
Fossil remains found in Spain suggest they had stronger brows and bigger teeth than modern humans - but also smaller brains and potentially even cannibalistic behaviour.
They would have lived on the flood plains and marshes that bordered the ancient route of the River Thames in Norfolk, alongside sabre-toothed cats, hyenas, horses, mammoths and deer.
They measured around 5ft 6in to 6ft, weighed between 9st and 14st and are believed to have been right-handed. However, no complete skeletons have ever been found.
- Britain: One Million Years of the Human Story will run at the Natural History Museum from February 13 to September 28, with tickets costing £9 for adults and £4.50 for concessions
Read more: How British civilisation began at a Norfolk caravan park 1,000,000 years ago | Mail Online
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