Every year, coastlines lose ground to the relentless pull of wind, waves, and rising seas. Coastal erosion isn’t just a problem for the beaches. It threatens homes, roads, farmland, wildlife, and even tourism income. Keeping our coasts in place isn’t just about saving sand – it’s about protecting communities, livelihoods, and the natural beauty so many of us love.
What Causes Coastal Erosion?
Coastal erosion happens when waves, currents, or storms wear away land along the edge of the sea. Sometimes, the sea slowly ‘nibbles’ at the coast. Other times, a single storm can take a big bite.
Natural causes include:
- Powerful waves and tidal surges churn up sand and soil.
- Storms batter the shore with wind and water.
- Rising sea levels push the shoreline back.
Human activity adds fuel to the fire:
- Construction near coasts, like roads and buildings, weakens land.
- Sand mining and dredging remove natural barriers.
- Hard surfaces (like concrete) speed up runoff and disrupt the beach.
Every action counts, whether from nature or people.
Engineering Solutions to Coastal Erosion
- Sea walls are thick barriers built along the shore. They push back against waves, protecting what’s behind. But these walls are expensive to build and repair. They can also reflect wave energy, which sometimes scours away sand in front of them.
- Rock armour (riprap) piles large rocks along the beach. Waves crash onto the rocks, losing force and sparing the land behind. This method can look rough and natural, but takes up quite a bit of space and can be pricey to maintain.
- Groynes jut straight out from the shore, like arms catching drifting sand. They trap sand moving along the beach, helping to build a bigger buffer. While groynes keep sand in one spot, they can starve beaches further down the coast.
Nature-Based Solutions to Coastal Erosion
- Dune restoration lets nature build defences. Repairing or planting dunes gives homes for plants and animals while absorbing the energy of waves. Fencing off dunes and planting tough grasses help roots lock the sand in place.
- Beach nourishment means adding new sand to worn-down beaches. Think of it as patching a hole in a well-loved jumper. This makes the beach wider and safer, but it’s not a one-time job. New sand is needed every few years.
- Vegetation planting is simple but powerful. Planting salt-resistant grasses, shrubs, or trees holds soil with their roots. These green defences also support wildlife and can filter pollution before it reaches the sea.
Nature-based solutions are often cheaper and blend better with the coastline, but they need care and regular checks to stay effective.
Why Coastal Erosion is Deadly Serious
Despite the dream of owning a cottage by the sea, many villages and towns across England, are finding their homes literally being swept away by hide tides.
The village of Hemsby (Norfolk) has recently been in the news, as over 8ft of beach has been swept away in recent months, and people have literally lost their homes.
And the government literally does nothing, providing no compensation. Yet the solution (a rock berm) could prevent this happening again.
Apparently coastal geologists have a joke answer to the question ‘how far is a house from sea’, with the answer ‘about 5 years’. Less funny is people losing their (impossible to insure) houses, and sometimes coastal erosion has caused serious floods, leading to loss of life.
Climate change does play a part, but in this case, it’s more to do with the fact that we are simply an island nation. The British Geological Survey now writes that there are around 30,000 houses across the nation within 25 metres of sliding into the sea.
In 1953, a serious storm on England’s east coast (which killed hundreds of people and more on the Continent) led to many measures taken (like concrete sea walls) but obviously these measures are not working for Hemsby, nor the nearby village of Happisburgh (pronounced ‘hayz-bur-ruh) which also has homes in peril.
Our Norfolk and Yorkshire coasts now have some of Europe’s fastest-eroding coastlines, and already many villages have literally disappeared into the North Sea.
The ancient fishing village of Eccles-on-Sea still remains, but most of the original village was literally lost to the oceans in the late 1500s, even the church. It’s almost eerie that after bad storms, ‘sea-bleached skeletons’ appear in the sand of the church and other buildings.
One disabled man who was told his home had 80 years left intact, recently lost everything, when his house washed away.
With help from Friends of the Earth, he took the government to court, saying they needed to do more on climate action. He lost the case, the High Court basically said he had lost his home, and that was that. An appeal is pending.
Why Coastal Erosion is an Urgent Issue
Coastal erosion is an urgent issue, with around 9000 properties at immediate risk, and much more in the years to come. Rising sea levels (caused by climate change) is speeding up the inevitable.
And of course climate change also causes other risks like severe storms and waterlogged soil (meaning it’s more likely for sandy cliffs to break under the weight of our frequent rainfall).
The obvious solution for many villages is to move the buildings back further, but for some people this is not possible or affordable.
And in Happisburgh, sea defences were so badly damaged, they had to be removed in the 90s, to avoid them collapsing.
Instead, the sad story is that the homes are gradually being taken down, though again there is little financial compensation for people who own or rent permanent or holiday homes in this popular seaside retreat.
The National Trust looks after almost 800 miles of UK coastline, and are the experts in the best ways to reduce coastal erosion. They say building coastal defences is now not enough – like sticking a plaster on a volcano.
One idea it has had (in Pembrokeshire, Wales) is to take 100 acres of dune grassland out of active farming, and instead restore reed beds and fen meadows to protect local flora. It’s also trying to relocate buildings, shorelines and habitats to provide new safer homes for wildlife, further away from the sea.
The Dutch Answer to Coastal Erosion?
Reefy is an invention from The Netherlands, which creates an artificial reef to stop coastal erosion. Due to frequent floods on a flat marshy land, Holland has been at the forefront of finding effective solutions to flooding issues.
Good for beaches or rivers, this is stable enough to dissipate 90% of wave energy, whilst still retaining natural habitats for marine wildlife. In Australia, seawalls are built alongside the coast, to stop waves from contacting the shore.
Looking out to Cape Grey Nose!
If you look across 21 miles to France on a clear day, you can see the French coast. What you are seeing is Cap Gris-Nez, which translates to Cape Grey Nose! It’s a popular spot for viewing migrating birds.
A Book on How to Manage Coastal Erosion
New Coast is a book by an American expert on the issues of rising seas, looking at how they impact natural systems and communities, and what can be done.
Drawing on 40 years of experience at the Environmental Protection Agency, the author is critical of how the former Trump administration weakened efforts to find solutions, and suggests new policy changes at local and national level to restore and protect our coastlines.
Plants that grow on sand dunes feature deep roots that stabilise the dunes, to prevent erosion. Their roots help to bind the sand together, creating habitats also for wildlife. Without these plants, the dunes would shift uncontrollably, leading to habitat loss for many species.
Various species also rely on sand dunes for nesting and feeding, like puffins and plover birds. Small mammals like rabbits and foxes also find shelter in sand dunes, making it crucial to maintain them, for ecosystem balance.
Other Well-Known Cliffs in England
Beachy Head
This set of chalky cliffs is just to the east of Seven Sisters Park, near Eastbourne in East Sussex. It’s known for being home to one of England’s most iconic lighthouses.
And also for being a main suicide spot for people with depression. The local chaplaincy team conducts regular patrols, and local pub workers and tax drivers also keep a lookout. There are also signs with the phone number of the Samaritans, to call potential jumpers.
The Jurassic Coast
This is the ‘dinosaur coast’ along southwest England, and England’s only World Heritage Site. The 95-mile stretch of coast combines 185 million years of history alongside dramatci cliffs, rocks and beaches.
