HAPPISBURGH: GOING, GOING...
Work in progress
Happisburgh is a village on the coast of Norfolk. It is a place that has been studied by a lot of geographers in the last decade or so due to the threat that has been facing the village due to damage caused to a sea defence (a revetment)
This has meant that parts of the village have disappeared, with a corresponding impact on property prices.
Government policy on coastal erosion has changed in recent years, and it is no longer cost effective to aim to 'hold the line'. Communities have often grown up knowing that they are safely protected and this has encouraged further growth (in the same way as people live on river floodplains)
Some areas have been chosen for schemes involving 'managed realignment' (it used to be called managed retreat, but this sounds like the sea is winning....)
The HAPPISBURGH website is produced by CCAG (Coastal Concern Action Group) and Malcolm Kerbey, who is very keen to speak to school groups.
It's been around for over 4 years, and has a long-running online petition.
I signed the petition on the 31st of January 2003, where I commented
"As a geographer, I spend a lot of time talking to pupils about the changes that take place in the landscape and the influence that people can have on the rate of those changes. Happisburgh is a living example of this..."
A few details from an article in 'Coast' magazine from March 2007 issue:
Also worth out checking a few texts as several of them feature this village.
More to come soon following a visit to the village.
"Heartbreak Homes": shown on BBC.
Some very useful images in an image gallery. These have been very kindly provided by ANDREW STACEY.
IMAGE GALLERIES going live soon...
http://www.geographyalltheway.com/year8_geography/coasts/hallsands.htm - a new mini-site by Richard Allaway
Also a little story about the clifftop cafe, which was recently valued at £1.