Taking back Doggerland!

[Bob Williams]

Today we visited our favourite local resort, Sutton on Sea. Whilst there we noted again the progress of the coast renourishment programme. Where once the sea had lapped up against a sea wall, there is a high bank covered in dunes, which are vigorously spreading further out to sea.

Looking north towards Trusthorpe and Mablethorpe. Maybe 15 years ago, the sea came all the way to about 10 feet below the railings. Ever since the Netherlands company began this work a few years ago, progress has been steady and inexorable.

On the way down into town and a good meal, we stopped by a local War Memorial where I always bow my head in memory of mates lost. Then I discovered this below the usual site, tells its own story:

I thought of my old GS Blue and hoped he was chasing rabbits somewhere. He wouldn’t be chasing Terrorists of course, they would be in a different place.

Photos taken with the new Sony Xperia L3. I really like this phone.

 

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Dave Rice]

I don’t know why we didn’t involve the Dutch earlier.

There are some areas of North Somerset where I used to fish where they’ve realised the artificial barriers aren’t the answer and they’re letting the sea encroach again to create salt marshes etc.

[Ed P]

Dave Rice wrote:

There are some areas of North Somerset where I used to fish where they’ve realised the artificial barriers aren’t the answer and they’re letting the sea encroach again to create salt marshes etc.

Probably because they have realised that there is more money in elvers than farming. (£5 for 20g if you can find them!)

[Dave Rice]

A bit further down the Severn than that Ed. Elvers are Gloucestershire where it’s a river, albeit a wide one. We’re talking past Minehead where the water turns back to blue from brown.

It’s Porlock and Bossington Beach (a shingle bank like the Chesil). Following a major breach in 96 it was decided that an intervention was necessary. 20 years on:

“It represents one of the best UK examples of how managed ‘stabilized’ barriers are non-sustainable at the decade-timescale. It also exemplifies the likely mode of barrier failure, if coastal gravel-dominated barriers are not allowed to adjust freely to changing relative sea level.”

[Ed P]

I hope they are not covering up the forest on Porlock beach. That used to be an annual Geology class outing!

[Bob Williams]

Dave I remember the Gloucester Severn from Merchant Navy Training Ship “Vindicatrix” moored in concrete alongside the river at Sharpness. In common with other 15 and 16 year old lads, running up the ratlines of an ancient wooden Man o’ War, parading along the yard arms. By my last week I was Top Boy on the Top Gallant, standing right at the top of the mast. I could see for miles.

(Cough!) Bet I might have seen your house from up there! ?? Or what would later be your house: that was 1961.

A huge lifeboat, full of young lads trying to row up the Severn, using oars twice as big as they were, against the tide: much easier coming back. I actually saw the Severn Bore during that time. I used to visit Berkeley in the company of my two mates. Gloucestershire girls are interesting, I found, and they have an attractive – er – accent.

Talking of Elvers: this is a Lincolnshire business, which sells on Louth and other markets in the East Midlands:

https://tinyurl.com/y559h6js

The area they talk about has many similarities with the Somerset Levels, being where many rivers and streams empty into the Wash. Around the Wash there are a lot of Eel fisheries in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. North and south of my area of the Wolds, there are also coastal areas which have been allowed to return to salt marsh, because protection from the sea in some places is prohibitively expensive and has no lasting effect. It has taken a long time for the authorities to realise that working with nature is preferable to defying it.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Dave Rice]

You’d have seen my Grandparents house in Saul I expect, about 6 miles NE. Mind you my Grandfather would probably have been in the Drum & Monkey drinking Bass and playing his accordion.

Amazingly I’ve never seen the Bore, just never got around to it. I remember searching for Devils Toenails at the Hock though. It’s a mud shale cliff on the first bend upstream from Sharpness and gets scoured by the river.

[Ed P]

The bore isn’t much to look at until you get east of Lydney, but as the river narrows the bore increases in height and people can surf on it.

[Dave Rice]

IIRC there’s a geological step up in the bed too, plus of course the 2nd highest tides in the world. It’s always on the local news when it’s a good one but it’s nothing compared to the Pororoca on the Amazon. 4 metres high and up to 800km inland. The record surf was 37 minutes apparently.

[Bob Williams]

I love this thread.

We’ve gone from a Lincolnshire beach resort, through the Somerset levels and the Severn, to the Amazon.

I love this Forum!

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Boris]

Dave Rice wrote:

Amazingly I’ve never seen the Bore, just never got around to it.

You are not the only one Dave ?

I have lived my whole life (in 5 houses, all within a mile of the Severn [both east and west banks]) and have also never seen it.

I well remember when I lived in Elmore Lane, Quedgeley, being trapped in the house for 5 hours at a time when there were Saturday morning Bores, as the spectators literally blocked the road, parking on both sides and in the middle of the road, blocking us in from 8.00 to lunch time.  That is probably what has failed to create any interest in it for me.

Never trust an atom - they make up everything !

[Ed P]

I’m not sure which river has the greatest bore, but China has one that tops 8 metres high (compared with about 8 feet for the Severn).

Btw Dave, as young reprobates we would have loved to have gone in the Drum and Monkey but unfortunately the Geology teacher kept a close watch on us having lost one (naughty) kid who did a disappearing act in the Gough caves in Cheddar.

[Dave Rice]

Looks like the best ones this year are at night https://www.severn-bore.co.uk/2019_times.html

29th September is a Sunday, probably be busy! October 1st looks good time wise.

[Author]

Posts