GCSE Geography SDME Happisburgh
SDME: Happisburgh
Background
Happisburgh is located 30km north east of Norwich, the soil consists mainly of relatively soft Jurassic-Cretaceous aged mudstone, limestone and sandstone, and as such is easily eroded; currently it is sitting on and even in the sea coast, with a population of 1400 people and roughly 600 buildings also while currently being a coastal village it was once separated from the sea by the parish of Whimpell, historic records seem to suggest that over 250m of land were eroded in between 1600 and 1850. Happisburgh became a site of national archaeological importance in 2010 when flint tools over 800,000 years old were unearthed. This is the oldest evidence of human occupation anywhere in the UK.
There have been earlier attempts to defend Happisburgh’s coastlines;
In 1959 timber revetments (make shift walls that absorb the energy of the waves) were put up against the shoreline, in 1968, groynes were put up along the coast that runs with Beach Road. By the early 1980’s both of these management systems needed almost complete restoration they only received minimal repairs, and by 1989 inevitably further restoration was necessary, the NDCC (North Norfolk District Council) had identified this specific coastline being in need of a major investment for its coastal management systems but any attempts to get government investment were opposed.
In 1991 after extensive storm damage a 300 metre length of revetment had to be removed due to safety concerns. It then became a complete imperative for the council to devise a new coastal management scheme. After 5 years nothing came of it and then a further complication of a new MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) ruling, that says that the methods used to protect a portion of land should not cost more to put in place that the value of the land itself. This is still impeding any attempts to protect the coast of Happisburgh.
In 1996 Happisburgh experienced further storms leading to another
Background
Happisburgh is located 30km north east of Norwich, the soil consists mainly of relatively soft Jurassic-Cretaceous aged mudstone, limestone and sandstone, and as such is easily eroded; currently it is sitting on and even in the sea coast, with a population of 1400 people and roughly 600 buildings also while currently being a coastal village it was once separated from the sea by the parish of Whimpell, historic records seem to suggest that over 250m of land were eroded in between 1600 and 1850. Happisburgh became a site of national archaeological importance in 2010 when flint tools over 800,000 years old were unearthed. This is the oldest evidence of human occupation anywhere in the UK.
There have been earlier attempts to defend Happisburgh’s coastlines;
In 1959 timber revetments (make shift walls that absorb the energy of the waves) were put up against the shoreline, in 1968, groynes were put up along the coast that runs with Beach Road. By the early 1980’s both of these management systems needed almost complete restoration they only received minimal repairs, and by 1989 inevitably further restoration was necessary, the NDCC (North Norfolk District Council) had identified this specific coastline being in need of a major investment for its coastal management systems but any attempts to get government investment were opposed.
In 1991 after extensive storm damage a 300 metre length of revetment had to be removed due to safety concerns. It then became a complete imperative for the council to devise a new coastal management scheme. After 5 years nothing came of it and then a further complication of a new MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) ruling, that says that the methods used to protect a portion of land should not cost more to put in place that the value of the land itself. This is still impeding any attempts to protect the coast of Happisburgh.
In 1996 Happisburgh experienced further storms leading to another