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East Lane Bawdsey -
June 24 2009
March 9 2005
First contact
May 14
2005 Site meeting
May 31 2005
Update
June 21 2005
Expedition to cut weeds
June 28 2005
Job Done!
July 30 2005
- two flags gone and another going!
March 2006
update
July 2006
update
September 2006 update
February
2007 - a new beach!
September 2007 update
March 25 2008 update
June 24 2009 Privately-funded defences
June 28 2005
Shingle Street
July 30 2005 Shingle Street
June 9 East
Lane 2008
Flags site
Ian Murray's
photos
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The East Lane Trust
at Bawdsey was set up to raise cash to fund defences. It was
formally approved by Suffolk Coastal District Council in 1977.
The defence are now complete, and the investment will be repaid
by selling some of the land protected by the scheme to
developers for housing.
It is an unique
solution to funding coastal erosion as far as I know. |
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The rip-rap extends
from the promontory at the southern end of Shingle Street to
fifty metres to the south of the Martello tower; previous
attempts to protect this section of coast were thwarted by
inadequate application of rock armour, that were infiltrated. |
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The artefacts
at the end of East Lane, defensive positions dating from WW2 ...
and a little more erosion to cope with! The issue of preserving
freshwater supplies for farmer's irrigation was a factor in
funding the defence scheme. |
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The rock armour
stretching to the north in front of the Martello tower. |
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The view for the
few houses in this hamlet has certainly changed, and so has the
level of uncertainty as to the length of their future tenure! I
liked the solitary chair put out on the flat rocks for a sea
view. |
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To the south are
views of the fish-tail groyne, which is flat-topped down to the
water, at least at high tide. The area of backwater is of
interest, and it is here that further erosion may begin. |
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More views of the
groyne and the rock armour. The small area of beach is seen to
be very steep. |
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It will be some
time before a 'natural' profile emerges in these beach deposits,
after the mechanical re-working that has taken place here. |
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Down-drift of the
rock armour there is evidence of rapid recent erosion, with this
year's pea crop lying unharvested for the last few metres before
the cliff-top. Waves are breaking directly against the base of
the cliffs. |
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The profile of the
beach was steep to begin with, but this high tide is sawing away
chunks of shingle in real time. Oh for a video camera! The beach
was probably pushed up during the moving of the rock armour, but
is now being removed with vigour! |
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Overviews and
detail of the site and the fish-tail groyne. |
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A stockpile of rock
armour has been made just to the south of the Martello tower; it
will certainly be needed if past experience is anything to go
by! |
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In East Lane is an
overgrown front garden, so here is a mixture of cultivated and
wild flowers - a feast! |
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Suffolk Bawdsey
East Lane coast defences Martello tower rip rap beaches loss
fish-tail groynes wildflowers private funding |
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