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The Geography Department |
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Happisburgh 2003 From Cart Gap to Happisburgh
Photos taken on 28 May 2003
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To get to the beach on this date meant an approach from Cart Gap, a mile to the south. One is a met by reminder!
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At Cart Gap there is a concrete slipway, groynes still more or less complete, and a recurved sea wall in concrete masonry, complete with concrete underpinning. How the folks at Happisburgh must wonder what they must do to get this! |
A more discreet notice covered the concrete access ramp at Cart Gap.
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Some steel sheet piling has been torn away from its fellows and is really quite a hazard in the shallows. |
Happisburgh to the north, from the beach in front of Cart Gap. The sea wall is in good condition here. |
The sea-weary nature of the defences becomes more apparent towards Happisburgh. |
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The end of the line for the fixed concrete defences separating Cart Gap from Happisburgh. Immediately the coastline is indented to the north. |
A cliff largely made up of fine sand, showing a recent fall of cliff top and the tide-line of rubbish.
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Large blocks have fallen down onto the upper beach.
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Towards Happisburgh underlying clay is exposed as a shelf feature.
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The debris trail of the Happisburgh erosion events. The buried steel poles are the remains of a hoard unearthed at Happisburgh. |
The clay band is partially covered by a cone of debris from the sand above.
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The end of Cliff Road from the beach. The southern end of the boulder defences can be seen, as well as a good cross section of the cliffs at this point.
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The remains of the last groyne defences and the new boulders - which appear to be overwhelmed at high water.
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The steel pipes, although unsightly, have achieved a slowing of coastal erosion locally but, mixed up here with concrete slabs, present a sorry sight on the beach. |
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Looking more like the D-Day invasion beaches, steel sections from old groynes emerge from a pristine beach. |
Steel pipes mixed up with failed groynes with Cliff House presiding over the scene.
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The next victims line up above a cliff that has absolutely no strength - sand above clay. |
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Towards the old lifeboat access ramp the beach becomes an assault course over slabs of concrete and the old revetment defences. |
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The old lifeboat ramp has given way mid-way down its length. |
The concrete wall of the ramp had been undermined and collapsed. |
Sections of ramp, both of concrete and wood, have collapsed towards the beach. |
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The really good news of the day was the state of near-completion of the beach access steps. |
Without beach access nobody breaks the silence of the coastline north of Happisburgh. |
The structure has quite a gap to overcome between the shore and its stairways.
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The field behind the new steps with its tokens of the holiday industry .. many more reside to the north of the village.
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From Beach Road back to the car park. The empty land on the right recently had housing, now demolished.
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The wrecked lifeboat ramp from the top of the new beach steps. |
A remaining outpost on the cliff-top, and two lines of revetments on the beach. |
New cliff-protection boulders appear hopelessly lost in a low line across the beach. |
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The sand makes attractive swirls where waves have driven between the new boulders. |
Beach Road very much on the front line.
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The steel piping is creating a new, if temporary, headland.
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The rear of Cliff House, defiantly flying the flag of St George. |
An overview of the frontage.
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This section of revetments has been wrenched from the beach and thrown against the cliff. |
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At the end of beach road lies the new bay, originally created where the revetments finished. Some rip-rap defends the cliff here. |
To the south, to Cart Gap, the incursions of the sea go unchecked.
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Rip rap and steel pipes combine to do a good job!
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The end of Cliff Road is under attack from the east and from the south. |
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Only the foundations remain. |
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