1st August, hop on the first bus out of town…to Hemsby, a popular little resort of wooden chalets set in the sand dunes. Idyllic? I’ll let you be the judge.
Sun, sea and sand, who could ask for more, and the weather is kind; no heatwave today
It still looks inviting yet two years ago a wooden chalet stood here. See it’s fence and the plants that were its garden
And this chalet has left its porch behind
I remember as a child there were at least two more lanes of chalets. But I particularly remember the furthest, most seaward row. The drifting dunes had all but covered them.
This is wind-damage, storm damage, it is not rising sea levels. And this is regular Earth behaviour.
The damage at the next resort, Scratby, isn’t as calamitous. But then the cliffs here are compacted sand, while at Hemsby they’re merely high-rise dunes.
Next resort, California (I wonder whence that name?) Here we’ve no choice but to walk the beach for the cliff-top path runs out
Low-level sea defences here in the form of granite blocks brought in from Norway…which the wind- and storm-driven sand is covering. The marram grass helps to stabilise that sand
Incoming tide flows into a channel it has already carved into the beach. That channel runs some distance parallel to the shore and provides shallow safe water for the children
Ahead, as behind, the cliffs, complete with evidence of calving. Rainwater draining through the sandy soil carves out fault lines which eventually cause collapse. Inevitable.
The wind-turbines on Scroby Sands, a sandbar exposed at low tide
And we leave the beach for easier walking…
And to our delight find harebells everywhere
I hope you enjoyed our walk. Yes, the Norfolk coast has its problems, mostly natural erosion. But it also is beautiful. And while walking the shore I indulged my passion for explosive waves which I’ll show you tomorrow…
Beautiful pictures almost like in the tropic seas
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Thank you. And yes, not bad for the North Sea!
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Nice walk this week. Quite different from the green scene of last week.
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I do try to vary them. This Sunday is different again 😊
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That’s cool.
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Beautifui but also sad. I think about the people that lost their homes to mother nature.
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Mostly they’re holiday homes along this coast, investments lost.
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That porch photo s great. Really demonstrates the strength of nature
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Yea, such is the nature of our coast, and always has been
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I was half-expecting some reference to the adjective august 😉
Beautiful walk. And it’s amazing the force of nature…
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It’s a very enjoyable walk…when the sun isn’t too strong. Between sun & sea breeze, so easy to burn
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Any time the sun doesn’t burn too strong. Especially when there is a sea breeze to fool you into thinking you’re not being baked;-)
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