The Geography Department
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The Geography Department |
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Dunwich Heath update May 19 2007
Dunwich Heath May 19 2007
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The site now sports a number of bright new signs (one already rendered useless by UV sunlight) indicating the new status of open access land ... although many of the footpaths are now blocked off, either to allow them time to regenerate, which is a valid management objective, or to block off access to the cliff top - which is nanny-state! |
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The Coastguard Cottages, left, with bicycle rails and the entrance to the shop and cafe. In the centre is an expanse of round wooden tables for the snack and lunch trade, and on the right the mixture that is Dunwich today- whitewashed buildings, gorse - and cars! |
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To the east of the Coastguard cottages a small section of gorse has been severely pruned and, to protect the new growth (should it appear!) a rabbit fence has been erected around it. Centre - all pathways quickly erode to sand so, right, barricades of brushwood block off the routeways (in this case to the cliff top!). |
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Signage at Dunwich Heath; on the left at the wide and erosion-deepened footpath across the heath from outside the study centre, whilst on the right is a pair of the new and colourful footpath and bridleway signs on a post coming back from the beach. |
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Three views from the cliff-top showing the current state of the cliff system, namely one in which re-vegetation of the slopes is in the ascendancy, as opposed to wave-erosion attacking the base of the cliffs and promoting recession. The small free-face at the top of the cliff is still there, complete with vegetation overhang, but the steep talus slope is being consolidated by increasingly dense vegetation. |
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The division between the cliffs of Dunwich Heath and the beach backed by low dunes in front of the Minsmere reserve. |
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The finer material of the upper beach has been pushed through the sheep-hurdle fencing, considerably reducing its height. The location for a good cross-profile of the cliff close to the end of the fencing, centre and, right, a old bricked-up hole is revealed by erosion - which is also goof for checking the scale of the grey soil horizons of the cliff. |
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The top of the cliff profile reveals plenty of bird's nest holes and the grey horizons of the humus layers.
'Boulders' of compacted sand/humus and vegetation litter the lower slopes. |
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The beach breach at Minsmere; without high cliffs backing the beach a surge just pushes over the top of the beach, eroding sections of vegetated sand as it goes. |
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The path behind the beach is sunken at this point, but it has been filled up with sand to the level of the beach by the surge. In the centre is a section of fencing, pushed flat by the surging waters, which overtopped a bund protecting the bird reserve and contaminated the freshwater ecosystem in places. |
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The top of the small dune system was ripped off in some places and the clumps of vegetation deposited further back from the beach. |
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The path between the dunes and the bund has been filled in by the surge. |
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Sand from the beach streaks the back slope of the stabilised dune system. |
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