Bacton To Walcott "sandscaping"

[TheQ]

Build enough wind generators or tidal generators out there you'll slow the tide and storms deposit more sand and the problem will be fixed either way..

[ChrisB]

UPDATE

The sand has retreated quite badly in places due to the recent strong easterlies. Hopefully a run of Westerlies will build it up again. The "sand cliff" is getting very close to one of the caravan parks clostest to Cable Gap.

[NeilB]

Any idea what it's like down the Keswick end please, near the Poachers Pocket pub?

[ChrisB]

22 minutes ago, NeilB said:

Any idea what it's like down the Keswick end please, near the Poachers Pocket pub?

It seems to be fairing better down that end and has produced a nice beach. In front of the Gas Terminal it was about +3 metres above the rest. The longshore drift is towards the south so the area around the Poachers Pocket is probably being replenished. I took these yesterday. It has not enlarged too good.

 

[NeilB]

Thanks Chris, much appreciated.  We have a bungalow booked which backs directly onto the beach here.

[SwanR]

It will be interesting to see whether there have been any changes along the beaches at Lowestoft and just to the north of there when we finally get back to our caravan soon.

[ChrisB]

walked today at Bacton. A lot more sand has gone and the "sand cliff" has moved very much nearer to that being protected.

[charlesa]

I loved the Bacton of 50 years ago when my Grandmother lived there. I am sure I have bored people before but the most enormous beautiful edible crabs lined up in Colin Gooch's crab shack along with kippers, cockles etc etc. A smell that lives with you for ever !

Thanks for the photos Chris

[YnysMon]

Hmm...that sounds like it was an expensive experiment. Any changes down the coast? Has the sand migrated elsewhere or just disappeared into the North Sea?

[ChrisB]

 Had a walk this morning and found a short area around Watch House Gap had returned to "Square One" as they say with the concete apron exposed.

What is somewhat disconcerting is, I was in company in early September and got talking to a gentleman involved and familiar with the project, he told me that in all the meetings he attended the UK stakeholders were constantly talking up the 20 year lifespan for protection, whereas Van Oord never wavered from their estimate of 5 years.

[ChrisB]

[FairTmiddlin]

These two of Gorleston-on sea beach may answer some f your questions of where it goes to. Even the first one has more than usual. It was usually a lot further back on the breakwater.

Now it is level with and line extends from a straight line off the end of it.

[Ray]

I think all the villages and towns south of Bacton were expecting to see a build up of sand as long shore drift brings it down. The Ness here in Winterton has certainly grown, there was hope that it would move south enough to protect the Beach Cafe but the tide, especially the Springs, seem to roll around it and the dunes in front of the cafe are fast disappearing despite the best efforts of the land owner.  

[Turnoar]

Reveting to Chris’s previous comment about the state of the timber defences following the project I do wonder if on balance the best solution for the entire stretch of coastline with cliffs would simply have been to maintain the existing defences, perhaps with a bit of rock armour to boot. Appreciate drainage on the cliffs needs maintaining too and such places with the addition of sea walls and timber defences seem to hold the line viz Cromer and Overstrand. My grandmother once told me that people out of work were sent down the beach to plant marram grass on the sand dunes; missed a trick at Bacton maybe?

[ChrisB]

Latest update, retreat seems to be slowing.

[Ray]

The hoped for build up at Winterton didn't happen, the Beach Cafe succumbed to encroachment and was demolished a while back now.

The only realistic answer would be to build huge defences all along the East coast which of course can not happen due to the extreme cost.

Holding the line is over in effect except for a few commercially viable spots. For the rest of us it's surely going to be managed retreat whether we like it or not!

[ChrisB]

I think you are right Ray.

[ChrisB]

This is a good sign, atop the concrete apron. Marram and vegetation is taking hold. It has the look that it may have been put there, but no matter. That is what is required, get a dune system going to stabilise above the high water mark.

[ChrisB]

Not so good this morning. Old groynes very much in evidence and long expanse of the Apron showing.

Walked and had lunch at Winterton on Tuesday and that had changed quite dramatically in just 6 weeks. They had been fored to move the "Airsteams café" back 12ft and the sand ramp up to them, that was there end Sept, gone!

 

[Ray]

The 2nd half of the base to the fisherman's hut that was moved went last night Chris... that's about 8 feet gone in 6 weeks and it's not even winter yet!

The rate of loss here seems to be accelerating as the Bacton sand is accumulating on the spit causing the tide to cut in behind it which is what is taking out the carpark rapidly.

[ChrisB]

Yes, you can see the confusion of the tidal streams behind the sand spit. They are trying to create a Bay to the south of the spit.

Maybe the OS need to change their map and move Winterton Ness a mile south from Winterton Holmes!

[YnysMon]

There was a news article (BBC East?) only a couple of weeks back claiming that the sandscaping was doing it's job as it had created a sandbar just offshore thus reducing the power of the waves.

That sounds convincing. (!)

[Wussername]

Nature will take its course.  Have you not noticed?

 

[unclemike]

king canute springs to mind

[SteveO]

I wonder what your average Dutchman would say about "managed retreat"?