Problems of erosion at Aldeburgh

There is obviously some concern that the present beach near Aldeburgh may be removed by further longshore drift. This would allow the sea to breach the spit breaking into the river. The people of Aldeburgh rely on the beach, the marina and the river at this point for tourism, fishing and water sports (sailing etc.) which help to maintain the town's economy. If the spit was breached Aldeburgh would suffer severe economic losses. There would also be significant loss of wildlife due to the destruction of habitats that have been created along the river at this point. 

 Salt marshes by the River Alde  The River Alde

Coastal Management at Aldeburgh

The salt marshes do offer some protection and this is known as 'soft' engineering, as it is a natural barrier to try and prevent flooding and further erosion. It is however not enough on its own to control the erosion. To help control the erosion and retain the spit at this point, 'hard' engineering methods have also been applied. There is a recurved sea wall (see diagram) to reflect the wave energy (although this was expensive). Rip-rap walls, large boulders or concrete blocks set within the beach are designed to lesson the force of destructive waves with the wave energy being absorbed by gaps between the blocks. Groynes (see photograph) have also been constructed to stop the southerly longshore drift and anchor the beach in place. Although there has been some success the lower levels of the groynes have not been so successful and material is still being moved down the coast.

Visit Dunwich / Aldeburgh Photogallery for a full selection of photographs

Back to Fieldwork Homepage