Author: alteredcoast

Altered Coast is a blog about coastal erosion on the Suffolk and Norfolk coast in East Anglia. The blog was originally inspired by an area of marshland in Suffolk, in a process of change, Hazelwood Marshes. It’s previous incarnation as a freshwater inland marsh dramatically altered when walls acting as a border were breached by a tidal surge in 2020. The blog alteredcoast will seek to explore the concept of change in relation to coastal erosion. As whether a beach erodes or accretes (accumulates sediment) it always changes from how it appeared a day or a month before. It has been altered in some way. The concept of change on this constantly evolving coastline will be consider how modifications happen and the factors that influence transformations, big and small. The challenges on the coast and its shifting features, will be discussed alongside the everchanging, ever restless North Sea. The constant accompaniment to the stories of the alteredcoast.

Sudbourne Beach

Sudbourne Beach situated south of the Martello Tower near Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast is a shingle spit that separates the open coast from the Alde/Ore estuary. Recently, the sea has eroded the shingle spit at a greater rate than has previously been experienced. 

Coastal Partnerships East and East Suffolk Council have a Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) which maintains a policy to Hold the Line up to 2025. This approach seeks to uphold or if necessary, add to and improve existing sea defences. These bodies also hold an interim position of No Active Intervention in the medium to long term, which would see no active investment in sea defences. However, concern about increased erosion has prompted these bodies to launch a public consultation to change the SMP position from No Active Intervention to Managed Realignment. A policy of Managed Realignment as defined by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) means ‘allowing the shoreline to move backwards or forwards, with management to control or limit movement’. It is hoped this policy will enable maintenance of the ridge to prevent a permanent breach.

A Draft report, the SCF-130619-SMP7-Policy-Review-Slaughden undertaken by Jacobs Consultancy commissioned by East Suffolk council in partnership with a Client Steering Group, identifies the area of Sudbourne beach and Slaughden ridge as ORF15.1. This area begins at the termination of the concrete walls at the Martello Tower and extends southwards to Lantern Marshes. The open sea and the Alde/Ore Estuary exist as two distinct but linked elements, but the ORF15.1 shingle spit is very narrow, prompting fears of a breach at a future date.

As an indication of just how the state of ORF15.1 is constantly shifting, three photos show how quickly the sea can alter the beach and shingle bank. The first two photos are from the Draft SCF-130619-SMP7-Policy-Review-Slaughden. The first photo taken in July 2017 shows a substantial wide shingle mass on top of Slaughden Ridge.

The second photo taken in December 2018 shows a big reduction in the mass of shingle with a cliff formed of shingle on top of Slaughden ridge.

This later photo is similar to photos used again as a comparison by the Alde and Ore Association in their Spring 2019 newsletter. The first photo they use taken from above in December 2018 shows the steep shingle cliff with a wide section of shingle on the beach.

The second photo taken in January 2019, shows the sea has moved the shingle to the back of the beach raising it up to a much higher level. The shingle cliff looks much diminished from the December 2018 photo.

It is also worth considering from the point of view of wider consideration of coastal erosion in the Alde Ore Estuary that each feature involves distinct but connected alteration processes. Hazelwood marshes became an intertidal marshland following a storm surge that breached sea walls protecting the freshwater marsh.

Sudbourne beach and Slaughden ridge whilst processes are clearly not helped by storm surges, are subject to erosion caused by the regular attrition of changes in wave behaviour.

The next feature, Havergate Island could be said to be subject to both these processes, it has been struck by storm surges and regularly manages changing, escalating sea activity.

Alde/Ore Estuary

The Alde-Ore Estuary, of which Hazelwood marshes is an intertidal component, is long and thin with two main sections. The upper estuary, the Alde refers to the area between Snape and Halfway Reach, an area south of Slaughden next to the radio station below Lantern Marshes. The area of the estuary from Halfway Reach to the sea is referred to as the Ore.

Regarding the two sections of the Alde/Ore Estuary, there are features in each that are worth looking at closely regarding dynamic coastal changes with potential to alter nature reserves and landscapes. The first facing out to the sea, just up from Halfway Reach, is Sudbourne Beach. A rapidly eroding shingle spit, with concerns the sea could forge a permanent breach and enter the estuary landscape.

The second area is Havergate island, opposite the village of Orford. In 2018, the RSPB lowered the sea wall to manage storm surges to channel water into certain lagoons.

Each feature like Hazelwood Marshes is in a process of evolution with the sea shaping and remaking each area, with a constant risk forces could impose a permanent detrimental change. At the same time those keen on preserving each area wish to implement plans to retain the features long term physical presence in the estuary. To consider these processes in more detail each area will be discussed in detail starting with Sudbourne Beach.