West, Ian M. 2020. Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire: Coast and Coastal Processes. Geology of the Wessex Coast. Internet site: www.southampton.ac.uk/~imw/Milford-on-Sea.htm. Version: Revised: Update: 2nd December 2020.

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Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, Geological Field Guide, by Ian West

Ian West
Romsey, Hampshire
and: Visiting Scientist at: Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Southampton University,
Website hosted by iSolutions

[FOR MORE ON THE COAST WEST OF MILFORD-ON-SEA - GO TO HORDLE CLIFF WEBPAGE]
FOR HURST SPIT - GO TO
HURST SPIT WEBPAGE]

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INTRODUCTION TO THE MILFORD-ON-SEA WEBPAGE.

The coast at Milford-on-Sea is discussed here separately from Hurst Spit - but please see the Hurst Spit webpage. In the past this small Milford urban area had a shingle beach in front of it. This beach was continuous with Hurst Spit and with the beach to the northwest at Hordle Cliff. It was, therefore, a natural piece of coast and part of the supply connection to Hurst Spit. There was no major problem. Now, because of a combination of natural retreat and the effect of specific, fixed, coastal protection for particular buildings and areas, the coast of Christchurch Bay is very irregular. Years ago, both the White House building at Milford-on-Sea and the main sea front were originally at the back of a good and regular shingle beach, as shown in old photographs. Changes have occurred and eventually there may be increased conflict between natural retreat and artificial structures. Understanding the matter is not simple. The eastern end of the Barton Sea Defences is causing some effective, clockwise coastal rotation, further east at Hordle; this rotation is also affecting beach alignments specifically at Milford-on-Sea. The landward end of Hurst Spit is, in any case, very complex. Fortunately, tsunamis, of earthquake origin are rare.

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BEACH MATERIALS - FLINT SHINGLE:
Some Beach Shingle Increase at Milford-on-Sea

test test test test -- check New shingle accretion at Milford-on-Sea promenade on the 4th January, 2018

Stormy sea conditions, unusual in summer, just northwest of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, 10th August, 2019

A very stormy and rather muddy sea, seen near the Milford-Hordle car park, Milford-on-Sea, 10th February, 2020, Ian West

Shingle at Milford-on-Sea promenade on the 18th December, 2018

In January, 2018, and still there in December 2018,there was some shingle accumulation accretion at the main, Milford-on-Sea promenade, and also at the new concrete beach huts. The medium-sized, flint pebble shingle has been thrown up by occasional phases of storm waves. It is the indirect result of increased erosion east of Barton-on-Sea at Becton Bunny (Barton Golf Course) area and at Hordle Cliff nearby. As long as this process continues or even increases the supply system to Hurst Spit might retart. It would be complicated by the various sea defences, including concrete walls, rock armour and old timber groynes in the Milford area, but there a possibility of some longshore drift from the area to the east of Barton-on-Sea to Hurst Spit.

Sea defences at Milford-on-Sea may slow the natural shingle transport in places but it has not completely prevented the natural shingle transport to Hurst Spit. Was has happened is that buildings and promenades have been constructed over the years without allowing for natural retreat of the coast. There was once a good, continuous beach almost all along Christchurch Bay (see the old photographs) with much beach shingle and sand to the seaward of the White House at Milford. When this building was constructed there was probably little thought that this could be a coastal barrier almost preventing longshore drift and pebble supply to Hurst Spit. Another complication is that probably the concrete sea front at Milford-on-Sea might be too far seaward.
If you look at this area on Google Earth you will notice the rather irregular and piecemeal sea defences, although it must emphasised that there is not suggestion here of a continuous, high ugly barrier. It is just that natural processes, including recession, have been stopped by varied and irregular manner sea defences at specific point.

[ old pictures ]

A 1959 aerial photograph of the cliffs at  Milford-on-Sea in 1959, copyright of Ian West

The cliff top to the west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea in about 1937, seen with holiday visitors, note the wide beach, copyright of Ian West

A photograph of the cliffs to the west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea in the 1950s, when there was still quite a wide beach, particularly at low tide, image enlarged, worked-over, adjusted, coloured and uploaded 13th February, copyright of Ian West

A photograph of the cliffs to the east of Paddy's Gap, Milford-on-Sea in about 1945 or 1950, when there was still quite a wide beach. Extensively, worked-over, smoothed and sharpened etc., newly coloured image, not the original, copyright of Ian West

Changes in the state of the sea defences, near the White House, Milford-on-Sea, from 2007 to 2020, as photographed by Ian West

 Old concrete sea defences, just west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea are fractured and might, perhaps, be prone to failure as the sea tries to continue its very slow, natural advance, bit-by-bit in a landward direction, seen 17th February 2020 after a major storm on the 14th and 15th February, 2020, Ian West

Work in progress on repair of an erosional gap in the sea defences, near the White House, 15th October, 2020, Ian West

Paddys Gap, access to the pebble beach, at Milford-on-Sea. as seen in the 1950s and showing the fairly wide,  pebble beach which exited there at that time, rather than the concrete and rock armour which now replaces it, Ian West

An aerial view of the coast at Milford-on-Sea, from the  White House area in a westward direction, as in the year 2020, and based on Google Earth, Ian West

A general westward view of the coast westward from the White House, Milford-on-Sea, low tide, 20th January 2020, Ian West

A westward view of the coast from the beach huts just west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, in fairly stormy conditions, 2nd February 2020, Ian West

New, norwegian rock armour is being added to the coast, a short distance to the west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, 15th October 2020

A geological map of Milford-on-Sea and Hurst Spit, as it was in the past, before recent sea-defences and other changes

A recent GE map of Milford-on-Sea and Hurst Spit

Map and aerael photograph, showing changes at the coast at Milford-on-Sea from the 1970s

Rooks on the cliff top at Rook Cliff,  Milford-on-Sea, 15th October 2020

Now there is only a narrow and irregular, flint shingle beach at Milford-on-Sea, GI image, go to Google Earth for details

A chart of 1977 showing, although at small-scale, a relatively uniform Christchurch Bay, without major sea defences, some of which have subsequently caused localised erosion downdrift (eastward), and of course, I know this to have been the case because I have visited various parts regularly, for more than 60 years as a geologist, Ian West, 10th January 2020

A chart of the sea floor of Christchurch Bay

The shingle beach in front of Milford-on-Sea is now very narrow and, in particular, very irregular. The coast should normally move landwards to some extent as a natural result of coastal erosion. However here it has been barred by concrete sea defences and larvickite rock armour at the landward end of Hurst Spit. If the area had been left in natural conditions there would have been a good continuous beach. However, there are houses there now that are well-separated from the sea by car parks and greens and so protective works are serving a purpose.

The artificial action or artificial obstacles to natural longshore drift are mainly the following:

1. Obstruction of natural beach transport by rock armour to the west of the White House.
2. Major obstruction by rock armour at the White House; and note that the southern part of the building projects seaward into the beach and there is much obstructive rock armour.
3. The main sea front at Milford-on-Sea is very irregular (with a car park projecting into the beach, and with a landward curving, sea wall (the main overtopping site) near the cafe (once with major flooding) to the southeast.
4. Then comes the larvikite rock armour, which is suprisingly high and it stops at relatively low seawall near the cafe (not on high ground).
5. Further southeast, beyond the fairly short but high barrier of rock armour the spit is consists of shingle which sometimes has to be replaced, at least in part, after major storms.

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MILFORD AND HURST SPIT - TSUNAMI RISK - LOW BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE

It is not impossible for, on very rare occasions, tsunamis or earthquake waves to hit the Hurst Spit, and presumably therefore Milford-on-Sea. There are occasionally, relatively mild earthquakes in the Chichester-Isle of Wight area, normally less than 5 intensity and are not normally associated with any large waves. Probably, although the matter has not been studied, a rare Atlantic Ocean tsunami wave could come up the English Channel and hit Hurst Spit. Of course, there is no record of very old ones. The main record is from 1882, almost 140 years back. At that date there would have been very little development near the beach at Milford-on-Sea.

Cole, A. 1926. [RE TSUNAMI OF 1882] Postmaster of Milford on Sea. Some Further Recollections of Milford, no. 23. Milford-on-Sea Record Society: Occasional Magazine, Volume 3, no 4, 1926.

Quote: "In September, 1882, a tidal wave [probably a tsunami from an earthquake] broke on the beach at Sturt [Sturt Pond, Milford-on-Sea, which is the lake adjacent to the landward end of Hurst Spit] filling up a considerable portion of Sturt Pond and the outlet, the salt water came up the Dane Stream, killing the fish, roach, carp, etc., and destroyed many of the apple trees in the gardens abutting on the stream. A new cutting was made near the original, but this soon filled up and the present one [in 1926] was made."
[important event - this was the last tsunami that is known to have hit the Hurst Spit. There may have been many in the distant past.]

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MILFORD AND HURST SPIT - STORM EROSION

New Coastal Erosion and Deposition at Milford-on-Sea

[Major changes occurred in the 1 in 60 year (?) storm of 2014. Quite severe, but not as much as the 1824 hurricane, or the extreme and very destructive hurricane, Daniel Defoe's Storm, of 1703.]

For more on this topic (but including these photographs), please go to:

Coast Erosion east of the White House, Milford-on-Sea.

A storm at the Needles, Isle of Wight, as seen from Milford-on-Sea, 11th September, 2017

Stormy weather at the Needles, as seen from Milford-on-Sea, 29th December, 2018

Yellowed seawater, shown below, has resulted from new erosion of the Headon Hill Formation at Hordle Cliff, as seen from the cliff top at the Milford-Hordle car park (the westernmost of the Milford cliff car parks). It is likely that the sea defences of other localities are now having some effect in increasing the erosion at the unprotected (and geologically important) Hordle Cliff. Much of the Headon Hill Formation (Upper Eocene)is yellow stained, when seen in the cliffs.

Seawater that has been yellowed by clay coming from the unprotected Hordle Cliff is seen from the cliff top at the Milford-Hordle car park, 10th February 2020, after 80 mile per hour winds at the Needles

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A map of Hurst Spit, Milford-on-Sea, Lymington and Sowley areas in 1740, showing locations of ironstone mining and iron ore production

New erosion just west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire with Hurst Spit in the distance, 15th February 2014

Old postcard views, from about 1950, of Milford-on-Sea, showing in one case, the beach with beach huts which was originally present, almost adjacent to the White House

A view in about 1937 of the cliff top to the west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea

The cliff top at Paddy's Gap, Milford-on-Sea in 1958, looking ESE towards the White House, which was not very white at that date

Some further new  erosion at the beach huts just west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, after storms, 20th January 2020, as seen at low tide

a new, small, cliffed embayment west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, revealing Headon Hill Formation and Pleistocene gravel, 15th February 2014

A new cliff with Pleistocene gravel of a low terrace, exposed west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, 15th February 2014

Shingle accumulating in a previous erosional area, west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, 11th September, 2017

Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, just west of the White House, looking westward, late in the afternoon, with a low sun, 20th January 2020

Some effects of recent storms, the stretch west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, 20th January 2020

Details of some erosion to the west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, as seen on the 20th January 2020

Good exposure of the Headon Hill Formation, after the storm of 14-15th February 2014, west of the White House and near Paddy's Gap, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire

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Beach Huts Destroyed or Damaged - 2014

Unfortunately many beach huts were either damaged or destroyed at Milford-on-Sea in 2014. Surprisingly the concrete ones proved to vulnerable, in addition to timber huts. The concrete huts have been places at a relatively low level and there significant quantity of protective beach in front of them, except at low tide. Ideally they should have been higher and further back from the sea wall. That would not have stopped all flooding, but it might have avoided the smashing up by waves. I do not know why they are so low, but probably this corresponded to some former level of the former shingle beach here.

Beach huts at Paddy's Gap, west, Milford-on-Sea, near Hurst Spit, Hampshire, damaged by storm action on the 14th-15th February 2014

Beach hut debris swept up together by the sea at Paddy's Gap, Milford-on-Sea, after the storm of the 14th to 15th February, 2014

A concrete beach-hut smashed by the sea at Milford-on-Sea, near Hurst Spit, Hampshire, 15th February 2014

A prescient notice on a concrete beach hut damaged by storm waves, Milford-on-Sea, near Hurst Spit, Hampshire, 15th February 2014

More concrete beach huts smashed at Milford-on-Sea, near Hurst Spit, Hampshire, 15th February 2014

During fairly severe storm conditions in 2014 (about the 1 in 60 year intensity, not an extreme storm), many of the concrete beach huts of Milford-on-Sea were smashed by the waves. New ones have been build and completed in 2017. It is of course, optimistic to hope for very long term survical of new beach huts at a place like this, a type of promontory directly facing waves that can come from across the Atlantic. This is a very exposed place, unlike the more sheltered Bournemouth. There is some protection by a small amount of shingle and by some small groynes, but it is very limited. However, really big storms, and especially the major hurricanes, only take place at fairly distant intervals and, in any case, these huts may well be stronger than the old ones. They are not conspicuous or ugly and the casual visitor, walking from the car park may not, at first, even realise that they are there (seen from the car park behind, they just looks like a sea wall).

Beach hut debris, including plastic chairs, have been transported by the St. Valentine's Day Storm along Hurst Spit, Hampshire, even to the southeastern end

About 600 beach huts have been damaged or destroyed on the nearby south coast of England during the St. Valentine's Day storm. The stretch of coastline managed by New Forest District Council, which includes Milford on Sea and Barton on Sea, has had 40 huts destroyed and 100 damaged. (from report on BBC News online, 19th February, 2014). Of course, beach huts are normally placed near the sea and often at the foot of cliffs. With the possibility of global warming and more storms they inevitably carry increased risk of destruction. Records might be useful indicators of storm intensities, if statistics are retained.

Overwash Debris

2014 Major Storm - very destructive

The promenade at Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire,with debris from smashed beach huts, after the storm of the 14th-15th February, 2014

Washover seawater on the green behind the promenade at Milford-on-Sea, near Hurst Spit, Hampshire, with a visitor, 15th February 2014

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2017 - Stormy Weather - White House and New Beach Huts - Milford-on-Sea

At Milford, just northwest of the White House, there is an accumulation of medium flint pebble, shingle, above the short promenade here - is this a future, major, shingle accumulation locality?

The new Milford-on-Sea beach huts are deserted in stormy weather; there is only myself and a pair of Turnstones

New, replacement, concrete beach huts at Milford-on-Sea, as seen on a fairly stormy day, 11th September 2017

[LOCATION CONCRETE 2020 - update 1945, 26/10/2020]

Some shingle accumulation on the sea wall, thrown up by a storm,  in front of the concrete beach huts, at Milford-on-Sea, seen, 20th January 2020

At Milford, adjacent to the western end of the rock armour, storm waves have caused washover and thrown pebbles at the white building, St. Valentine's Day Storm, 14th Feb 2014

The Prime Minister at the time, David Cameron, visited Milford-on-Sea, near Hurst Spit, Hampshire, to see the effects of  some sea flooding as result of a bad storm, overnight, 14th-15th February 2014

Overwash debris from storm waves on the grass area between the sea front and housing at Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, 15th February 2014

Storm action, overwash and pebble-throwing at the landward end of Hurst Spit, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, old photo January 2007, for comparison

An oblique view from Hurst Spit, Hampshire, of the sea-front at Milford-on-Sea, showing the relationship of protruding sea defences at the White House to beach shingle and shingle movement, 6th October 2017

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HURST SPIT - SITUATION - NOVEMBER 2013, AFTER ST. JUDE'S STORM.

A minor storm, St. Jude's Storm, struck the bank on the night of the 27th -28th October 2013. This gave the beach a mild test. Wind speed at the Needles reached 95 mph but it was not a true hurricane like the "Great Gale" with a great storm surge (about 3 metres in Dorset), as on the 22-23rd November 1824. The 1824 event drove Hurst Spit at Milford back 40 metres in a day. There will probably be adequate warning and evacuation when the real hurricane comes, but the the effects will be numerically less than at the low parts of Weymouth and Sandbanks (and possibly Portsmouth). The hurricane of 1703 seems to have been of similar strength but more over the land. Photographs here show the consequences of St. Jude's Storm, although they are relatively small with some erosion and some limited washover of the bank. Further damage occurred after another storm, notable for very large storm waves, took place on the night of the 6th to the 7th January 2014. A photograph taken after this is shown further below.

Hurst Spit, Hampshire, a comparison between 2011 and 2014, looking towards the bend, and showing increased cliffing and substantial loss of the front beach material

Erosion on the seaward side of Hurst Spit, Hampshire, seen after the storm of 6-7 January, 2014

Stormy conditions and white water at Hurst Spit, Hampshire, twelve hours before the approach of Storm St. Jude, 27-28th October 2013

For comparison a photograph of the location shown above, but much later, on the 28th January 2016, is provided directly below. There had by that date been some loss of shingle here.

The landward end of Hurst Spit, at Milford-on-Sea, shown as at 28th January 2016, and with some depletion of residual shingle and some small-scale erosion

Flint pebbles travelling southeast from the Becton Bunny and Hordle Cliff area are accumulating at Milford-on-Sea at the landward end of Hurst Spit, and some can be seen thrown by a wave, 4th January 2018

Additional, flint pebble shingle has arrived by longshore drift in a storm at the new concrete beach huts at Milford-on-Sea, 4th January 2018.

More flint shingle in front of the new concrete beach huts at Milford-on-Sea, 29th December 2018.

For more information see:
The Lymington Times, January 12th, 2018. New Beach withstand a storm force battering. Hundreds of tons of shingle thrown on to rebuilt prom. By Roz Waters.
"A 2.3 million [pounds sterling] improvement scheme incorporating 119 new beach huts has withstood a major test after hundreds of tons of shingle were hurled onto a promenade during recent storms. The beach huts which were officially opened in May 2017 were inspected by New Forest District Council's coastal engineering team last week, following storm force winds and waves in late December and early January. A combination of spring tides and several days of unsettled weather were blamed for dislodging a number of paving slabs from the sea front promenade close to the Needles Eye Cafe on Hurst Road. The coastal team estimated that between 400 and 500 tonnes of shingle was swept onto the lower promenade in front of the new beach huts, and waves overtopping the coastal defences also deposited shingle in the sea front car parks. A specialist recording buoy close to the coast at Milford showed wave heights averaging 3m. in conditions which are expected to occur about four times a year. However a spokesman for New Forest District Council explained that the height of the storm occurred over a period of spring tides, combining with a storm surge of 0.6m. leading to larger than normal waves. ....." continues.

Christchurch Bay feeder to Hurst Spit, some preliminary comments.

Christchurch Bay was once a continuous bay with a fairly uniform curve, and ending to the southeast at Hurst Spit to which the beach pebbles travelled (driven generally eastwards by southwesterly waves). The bay has now been made very complex because of partial sea defences in certain places. In particular beach shingle cannot pass the Barton sea defences, but there is rapid erosion near Becton Bunny (east of Barton) because of Terminal Groyne Syndrome (i.e. the effect at the downdrift end of groynes or other sea defences). The renewned erosion is supplying shingle towards Hurst Spit. There has been coastal retreat in the past at the low, coastal and to some extent vulnerable part of Milford-on-Sea. The matter is not simple and the future, of course, is difficult to predict. Now, in contrast to the retreat in area there are now signs of accumulation of shingle, derived from Becton and Hordle Cliff areas at Milford-on-Sea. It is not clear whether the shingle can travel on to Hurst Spit or not. There is a limited stretch of obstructive rock armour at the landward edge of the beach.

The questions are:
1. Will shingle continue to accumulate at Milford-on-Sea?
2. Will it be able to travel on to Hurst Spit?
3. Will it instead accumulate at Milford sea front and form a new spit? (in front of the promenade and beach huts or not?)
4. Is this just some temporary phase and will the coast at Milford return to its natural erosional condition?

It would obviously be very unwise to make predictions, except that the natural enlargement of Christchurch Bay is almost certain to continue, but probably in an irregular manner. Natural retreat of this new bay is the normal process and Hurst Spit has been the natural product (until sea defences, including partial rock armour complicated the whole matter). Now, however, a single eroding Christchurch Bay has become (at least) two eroding bays. It must be noted that the heights of certain parts of Milford-on-Sea may not be very far above the flood level of some of the great storms (like the 1703 great hurricane, the 1824 "Great Gale" etc.). There is no certainty as to what is happening and, of course, great storms cannot be predicted very long in advance. Erosional and depositional complications might be developing in the area.




COAST EROSION AT AND NEAR MILFORD-ON-SEA



Paddy's Gap to the White House (Milford-on-Sea)
- Coast Erosion and Storm Activity

Erosion continues at the somewhat vulnerable area, just west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire with Hurst Spit in the distance, 27th March 2016

a new, small, cliffed embayment west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, revealing Headon Hill Formation and Pleistocene gravel, 15th February 2014

Erosion above the sea wall level, at the new embayment, just west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, as seen on the 28th January 2016.

The changes seen from 2014 to 2016 are mainly just degradation, with the footpath moved back inland a short distance. All looks fairly normal again - until the next really big storm here. The cliff may move inland only rarely, during a great storm, but it has attacked and there has definately been a small coastal retreat. There will be another, of course. It is now expected, whereas it may not have been previously. The sea is naturally advancing here in spite of obstacles placed by humans, and Christchurch Bay will continue its natural growth and development. The problem is not one of steady rate but of the frequency of occurrence of rare, great storms. It may take off a chunk of cliff in the night and then be peaceful and do nothing for years.

Christchurch Bay is a very shallow bay, at least the landward part. It is mostly less than 10m. deep. The cliffs of the bay are largely twice to three times this. This shallow stretch of water is the youngest bay around in the region (Velegrakis et al., 1999) and very rapidly inundated. It was initiated by fast flooding and erosion at the astonishingly recent date of only 7,500 years BP (before the present). By comparison the Pyramids in Egypt were built at about 4576 years BP. This modern and rapid sea encroachment should move on inland into the New Forest area in a short while (geologically speaking). In this perspective, it is not surprising that Christchurch Bay enlarges rapidly, although probably not quite as fast as the similar Brighstone Bay on the Isle of Wight. Both are open to southwesterly storm waves from the Atlantic, and both show coasts with obvious erosion (which is why they are good for fossils).

A new cliff with Pleistocene gravel of a low terrace, exposed west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, 15th February 2014

Good exposure of the Headon Hill Formation, after the storm of 14-15th February 2014, west of the White House and near Paddy's Gap, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire

West of the White House, there is evidence of continued erosion above the concrete and rock armour sea defences. Sea level is slowly rising and storms are becoming stronger. They are probably just beginning their process of attacking above sea defences in the region. This may be just an individual case and it is partly just normal retreat. However, it is influenced by the unusual, coastal orientiation problems, caused by the Barton rock armour sea defences (that have shut off some beach sediment supply) and also by changes in the beach at Hordle Cliff. As is well-known, Christchurch Bay has no overall and consistent sea defence scheme. Local sections put up their own barriers (holding back sediment) without concern for anyone down drift. The most obvious case is Barton-on-Sea, once a major source supplier of pebbles (and reworked fossils) to Hurst Spit. The concern there is to preserve houses on the cliff top, without looking too far down drift. It is too late now to repair Christchurch Bay to natural equilibrium without enormous cost and increased risk to houses. Incidently, watch for the possible development of a new Hurst Spit, east of Milford-on-Sea. Pebbles are largely stopped by concrete east of Milford, and as Becton Bay develops further, as a result of Barton-on-Sea defences, then further re-alignment and new Hurst Spit development is a possibility.

(Early signs of a second, new and eastern, Hurst Spit will be looked for. Look around the eastern Hordle Cliff car park. Is any build-up happening. Are there any very early indications? A change in beach orientation has happened recently. However, are changes only small at the moment? Is this a question for the long term future? The answer will probably depend on future erosion and destruction at Becton Bay, i.e. Barton Golf Course. Whatever the case, it would be strange if the Barton-on-Sea sea defences had no further effect on the Milford-on-Sea coast, eastward, down-drift. Bear in mind, though, that Christchurch Bay is naturally retreating and the sea is winning the battle at a slow rate. This has been going on for 7500 years, the youthful age of the bay, and shows no signs of stopping.)

Sea wall west of Milford-on-Sea in a moderate gale, November 2009

Exposure of the Unio Bed produced by minor erosion above a sea wall, just to the west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, 2007

The short stretch of coast from Paddy's Gap to the White House is very interesting. It is the part of Christchurch Bay which is most depleted in terms of beach material. This was not the case in the past, and thus its cause is an interesting problem. The relatively low cliff is protected by a sea wall with gravel at the back and, now, rock armour (largely Carboniferous Limestone) in front. Presumably this has been required because of the risk of rapid coastal reatreat which might take place. Apart from the White House, there is no housing immediately on the cliff top, but it is not far back from the cliffs.

Thus, this is an interesting place to observe problems of the horizontal proximity of the sea to the location of the cliff top. There is a very narrow cliff and no beach at high tide. The sea wall is not very high but is regularly maintained. Gaps could be filled with rock armour and gravel, should they appear. However, the longer term prospects are interesting to consider. Rising sea level and more storms are very likely to cause problems here over the next 100 years. Quite apart from a probable rise in sea-level or 60 cm or a metre over a hundred years, major storm events may take place. In any case, the great 1824-type hurricane has not yet returned. When this one-in-250 year event happens again, as, of course, it will then the sea attack here could be very serious, much more so than shown in the photographs below.

Storm wave hits sea-defences, Milford-on-Sea, Christchurch Bay

Storm wave crashes over the cliff top, throwing gravel, Paddy's Gap towards the White House, Milford-on-Sea, January 1998

This storm in the morning of a day in January, 1998 hit the Hordle coastline quite severely (anyone interested could probably find meteorological records regarding the storm). The photographs shown here were taken at Rook Cliff, Milford on Sea, east of the main Hordle Cliff geological section. ,where there are some sea-defences. The location of photography was from the eastern side of a car-park (map reference SZ 282917) on the greensward at the western end of Milford. In the distance is the old sea-front hospital, with a characteristic horseshoe-shaped plan. There is a promenade and sea-wall at the foot of the cliff here and groynes commence at this location and are placed at intervals between here and the building in the distance, as can be seen in the photographs. They seem to be little consequence in these conditions. The storm waves are oblique to the coast and are coming from a southwesterly direction, that of maximum fetch. These can come up the English Channel, just missing the Brittany Peninsula, to the south, and just missing the Isle of Purbeck peninsula, not far away. The southwesterly direction is that of the prevailing wind and storms from this direction are common occurrences when Atlantic depressions and fronts hit the region in the winter. Thus big waves, perhaps originating from the Atlantic, can occasionally attack the coast from Barton-on-Sea eastward to Hordle Cliff, Milford-on-Sea and Hurst Castle Spit (and the western Isle of Wight). Highcliffe, further west is, of course, not completely safe from major wave attack but is protected to some extent not only by the Isle of Purbeck, but also by the promontory of Hengistbury Head. Relatively shallow water can reduce the wave effect to some extent. Nevertheless this is an interesting stretch of coast in geomorphological terms, because it has the combination of cliffs of poorly consolidated clay, sand and gravel and the occasional subjection to major storm waves from the southwest.

We can now consider the details of the particular storm event. The waves were impacting on the sea-wall of the promenade and throwing water and spray high so that it could reach to top of the cliffs, only at about 10m here. Sea-water then ran back seaward down the cliffs eroding Pleistocene gravel and carrying down to the promenade and the sea. This brown gravel is the cause of discolouration of the sea-water. The gravel was churned up in the waves and then thrown back again up the cliff. Gravel thus landed on the cliff top and in one of the photographs an individual pebble in movement in the air can be seen. The showering of gravel on the cliff-top made the author aware that he had parked his car in an unsatisfactory place (quite apart from the sever wind-buffeting and the salt-water wash) and although impact damage to the windscreen was only minor the visit was necessarily curtailed. In the afternoon the wind-speed decreased to more normal conditions.

Lagoon and bar at Hordle Cliff, Hampshire, seen from Paddy's Gap

Milford beach seen from Paddy's Gap at low spring tide, 10 March 2005. The southeastern end of the low-tide lagoon is seen

Milford-on-Sea is at the eastern end of Christchurch Bay. The prevailing winds are from the southwest and thus the dominant long-shore drift is towards the east. In natural conditions, without the presence of major sea-defences hindering supply and movement, shingle from the Pleistocene gravels of Barton-on-Sea and Hordle Cliff is transported eastward along the beach to Milford-on-Sea and thence to Hurst Castle Spit (where, indeed, some Barton fossils are found). The normal consequence of this is a build-up of beach material at Milford and this has, in the past, probably retarded cliff retreat. The offshore bar, which would also have consisted of material drifted from the west, would also have provided some protection by moderating the effect of waves. The photograph above shows a small part of the beach in its natural condition in 1932. At this time the beach was wide and the berm rose to almost the level of the land surface at this location. The crest shows oblique ridges because of some alignment to a mild promontory at Rook Cliff and Hordle Cliff to the west of this. Thus in natural circumstances Milford is to some extent a location of accretion whereas Barton is primarily a location of erosion and supply of pebbles. Conditions have changed now but Milford-on-Sea has probably been subject to a low rate of coast erosion in the past because of the broad protective beach and the offshore bar. The natural sea-defences have largely been lost now but the concrete and blocks of Carboniferous Limestone, the main artificial substitutes, seem to be holding firmly, at least for the present. The landward beach limit or effective cliff-line has retreated a little beyond the trend of the wall, especially on the east side (the down-drift side) of the concrete defences shown.

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COAST EROSION AT MILFORD-ON-SEA continued:

The White House at Milford-on-Sea

The White House at Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, formerly a seaside residence of the Walker-Munro family, and later a children's  hospital

An oblique view from Hurst Spit, Hampshire, of the sea-front at Milford-on-Sea, showing the relationship of protruding sea defences at the White House to beach shingle and shingle movement, 6th October 2017

At Milford-on-Sea, the most impressive feature of the sea-front is the White House. This was built in 1902 by the Walker-Munro family, colliery millionaires of Rhinefield House in the New Forest. This summer sea-side residence became a children's hospital from 1938 to 1983, and in 1999 was restored by Colten Developments Ltd. It is a nice building of historic interest. It is also of geomorphological significance as marker with regard to coastline recession and longshore drift of gravel, and is referred to again below (see 1938 ). It originally had a broad beach in front of it, but it is now protected by a small promontory of sea defences.

Wide and high beach in 1932

Sea defences at Milford-on-Sea seen in October 2003

Coast retreat is clearly seen at the White House from the above photograph. One is from 1932 and the other one from 2003.

Comparison of the coast at the White House, from 1932-2001, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire

A wide and high beach in front of The White House at Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, in 1932 before the coast was affected by sea defences

Sea defences at Milford-on-Sea seen in October 2003

The seafront at Milford-on-Sea is important to Hurst Spit because it is the feeder area, through which in the past the shingle from the Barton and Hordle cliffs reached the spit. A aerial photograph of the White House, the conspicous white building to the west of the small town (and mentioned above), was taken in 1932. It shows the two lookout or viewpoint buildings aligned with the back of the beach. As mentioned above, it was built in 1902. Its exact relationship to the beach at that time is not known, but since coast erosion here has been progressive it is probable that the beach was even wider or further to south in 1902 than in 1932 . Notice, incidently, that in 1838 the narrow concrete wall, oblique to the coast, was already in existence already. Perhaps, there had already been some threat of coast erosion. I wonder why it is not parallel to the sea frontage of the building; perhaps it was intended to trap the southeast-moving gravel.

In 1938, unlike the present day, there was a wide beach that seems not to have been significantly damaged or destroyed by sea defences to the west. Shingle could then pass by long-shore drift from west to east (in accordance with prevailing southwesterly winds) and supply Hurst Spit.

The photograph of the White House on the 6 May 2001 by the Channel Coastal Observatory, shows a very different situation. Much rock armour has been placed in front, and there is more of this further west. Now shingle cannot easily pass the various obstructions, of which this is only one. In any case it cannot proceed further southeast because of major sea defences at the Milford end of Hurst Spit.

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COAST EROSION AT MILFORT-ON-SEA continued:

Milford-on-Sea - the Main Sea Front

The sea front at Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, seen here in a moderate gale, has limited beach material and a fairly low sea wall, 22nd November 2009

An aerial photograph of the relatively low coastal area at Milford-on-Sea at the southeastern end of Christchurch Bay Hordle Cliff, Hampshire, and adjacent to the formerly retreating Hurst Spit

The short stretch of low coast at Milford-on-Sea contrasts with the cliffed coast of most of Christchurch Bay. In historic times this area has receded more or less in line with the adjacent Hurst Spit. Now, however, Hurst Beach is a little further back but is protected at this end by a high embankment of larvikite rock armour. This part should resist even very severe hurricanes. The sea front area at Milford has much lower concrete sea walls, although they defend against normal storms. The land behind is mostly above the possible flood level of the Environment Agency Flood Maps. In fact, it does not seem to suffered much recently, apart from some minor washover at the southeastern end. Whether the lower sea defences here, though, will protect against washover from a severe hurricane with storm surge, like the 1824 event, is not known. Whether there will be any longterm future problem here with global warming and rising sea level is not known either (if necessary, perhaps it might be possible to continue the larvikite rock armour bank westward across the car park, so that a strong and high sea wall would exist from the White House area, Milford, southeast to the southeastern end of the larvikite on Hurst Spit.)

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COAST EROSION AT MILFORD-ON-SEA:
Sea Encroachment in 1953

Newspaper report: Anonymous (1953). Sea encroaches 30-40 feet. New Milton Advertiser, 25 July 1953, p.1. Article not seen, but referred to by Delair (2007).

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COAST EROSION AT MILFORD-ON-SEA continued:

Hurst Spit and its Relationship to Milford-on-Sea

The Milford end of Hurst Spit, Hampshire, seen in aerial view in 1958, shown here in as a version that has been lightly tinted by Ian West, 11 November, 2017

Hurst Castle Spit, Hampshire, distal part, August 2002

Breach beginning to develop at Hurst Castle Spit, Hampshire in February, 1979

Hurst Castle Spit is discussed in detail in a separate but associated webpage - Hurst Spit. It is, however, relevant to mention it here in relation to movement of beach material from and past Hordle Cliff and in relation to Milford-on-Sea. The spit represents the destination of subangular flint gravel travelling by long-shore drift eastward from the supply cliffs of Highcliffe, Barton-on-Sea and Hordle Cliff. The supply from Highcliffe and Barton has been cut by sea-defences long ago but the beach at Hordle Cliff has remained quite wide, at least until recently. There has been much residual gravel and the increased erosion at Beacon Cliff must have helped. In addition there has been some realignment of the trend of the beach (probably a very small clockwise shift in the Hordle Cliff area) which has had its effect.

The natural overall retreat of the coast must have caused some concern at Milford-on-Sea back in the 1950s because at about that time some defences were constructed there (as indicated by old photographs). The sea-defences have been strengthened there (see the images above regarding Milford) and now it is very difficult for shingle to pass eastward of Milford beach. The Hordle Cliff, Barton and Highcliffe shingle is not able to reach the spit. At the landward end of this geomorphological feature some sea-defences in the form of rock armour were added. This seems to protected part of the beach but reduced shingle supply eastward. Thus, in February 1979, the sea almost breached the beach directly east of the sea-defences and the beach ridge was stepped back out of line. Later, after after a major flattening of the shingle spit by the sea, Hurst Spit was rebuilt from larvikite and dredged shingle. For more information on Hurst Spit and on its artificial reconstruction see: the Hurst Spit webpage.

Shingle Movement at Milford, early 2018.

Flint pebbles travelling southeast from the Becton Bunny and Hordle Cliff area are accumulating at Milford-on-Sea at the landward end of Hurst Spit, and some can be seen thrown by a wave, 4th January 2018

Additional, flint pebble shingle has arrived by longshore drift in a storm at the new concrete beach huts at Milford-on-Sea, 4th January 2018

[spume or sea foam]

Sea foam or spume, a sea-surface, sea substance which, in some cases,<P> can contain organic pollutants, at the beach huts to the southeast of the White House, Milford, 10th August 2019

Although absent most of the time, sea foam or spume occurs from time to time during major storms at Milford-on-Sea (usually in the region of the sea walls near the White House and the beach huts). It is a common white foaming substance. It often comes from offshore algae, but is sometimes regarded as a type of material derived from marine pollution. An algal origin seems more probable here, but I am not aware of a specific study of it.

See this extract from Wikipedia:

"Sea foam, ocean foam, beach foam, or spume is a type of foam created by the agitation of seawater, particularly when it contains higher concentrations of dissolved organic matter (including proteins, lignins, and lipids) derived from sources such as the offshore breakdown of algal blooms. These compounds can act as surfactants or foaming agents. As the seawater is churned by breaking waves in the surf zone adjacent to the shore, the surfactants under these turbulent conditions trap air, forming persistent bubbles that stick to each other through surface tension. -- Due to its low density and persistence, foam can be blown by strong on-shore winds from the beach face inland."

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For additional information see:
The Lymington Times, January 12th, 2018. New Beach withstand a storm force battering. Hundreds of tons of shingle thrown on to rebuilt prom. By Roz Waters.
"A 2.3 million [pounds sterling] improvement scheme incorporating 119 new beach huts has withstood a major test after hundreds of tons of shingle were hurled onto a promenade during recent storms. The beach huts which were officially opened in May 2017 were inspected by New Forest District Council's coastal engineering team last week, following storm force winds and waves in late December and early January. A combination of spring tides and several days of unsettled weather were blamed for dislodging a number of paving slabs from the sea front promenade close to the Needles Eye Cafe on Hurst Road. The coastal team estimated that between 400 and 500 tonnes of shingle was swept onto the lower promenade in front of the new beach huts, and waves overtopping the coastal defences also deposited shingle in the sea front car parks. A specialist recording buoy close to the coast at Milford showed wave heights averaging 3m. in conditions which are expected to occur about four times a year. However a spokesman for New Forest District Council explained that the height of the storm occurred over a period of spring tides, combining with a storm surge of 0.6m. leading to larger than normal waves. ....." continues.

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. LOCATION: MILFORD-ON-SEA, FAR WESTERN CAR PARK (NEAR THE EASTERN END OF HORDLE CLIFF)

(known as: "Milford-on-Sea, Hordle Cliff West, Car Park" or similar description)
(or "Milford-Hordle-West" - a cliff and shingle beach area with beach huts and some erosion problems in 2019)

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Embayment with shingle and Beach Huts at the westermost, seafront car park of Milford-on-Sea just before the main road swings inland, and just before Hordle Cliff, which is immediately to the west.
[Coming from Milford-on-Sea, this is the last car park westward on the coast road, just before the main Hordle Cliff exposure and the high ground; it is notable in having many beach huts, down the cliff, in an embayment with a broad beach; this is the western-most part of Milford-on-Sea. West of here the coast road swings inland. The Taddiford Gap or Long Mead End location is the next one to the west.]

[N.B. The name "Milford-on-Sea, Hordle Cliff, West Car Park" might be misunderstood; the car park is west of the other Milford-on-Sea car parks, and near Hordle Cliff. Note that the location is actually east, not west, of the main Hordle Cliff exposures of the Headon Hill Formation.]

. INTRODUCTION TO MILFORD-WEST-HORDLE BEACH AND CLIFFS (WITH BEACH HUTS)

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This western car park of Milford-on-Sea is above a shingle beach and a rather degraded cliff, with beach huts

This western-most car park of Milford-on-Sea is near to Hordle Cliff, and is adjacent to a currently-retreating, shingle beach on which there are many timber beach huts

For location - a general, Google Earth overview of the beach hut stretch near the Hordle Cliff West, car park, really east of the main Hordle Cliff exposures

A 1957 aerial photograph of the Milford-Hordle-West car park and adjacent cliff, east of the main Hordle Cliff exposures

Above is a 1957 aerial photograph of the cliffs adjacent to the Milford-Hordle-West car park, i.e. the westernmost of the Milford-on-Sea coastal car parks. It shows the present cliff features, including in general, vegetation and beach huts, were in existence in 1957.

Beach huts in 2020 at a particular place in Milford-Hordle area where the shingle beach is very wide, this is just east of the main Hordle Cliff, with its narrow beach and eroding cliffs

Notes (July 2020). The photograph immediately above shows almost the same place as the 1957 photograph (further above) at beach level, as seen in the year 2020. The beach is still wide here and the cliffs are not being eroded just here. There is much active erosion at Hordle Cliff and Taddiford Gap further west in 2020.

[computer locating code: hutcliff]

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An 1810 map of the Barton and Hordle coast, Hampshire, to show area of coast erosion

On the cliff top, next to the car park, near to some of the beach huts just here, January 2019

Regular, long waves breaking at Milford-West-Hordle-beach, in quiet weather conditions, 25th March 2019

A view from the cliff top of the Milford-Hordle-West beach at low tide with the offshore bar exposed, 21st March 2019

A labelled, general view of the embayment beach huts, near Milford, Hordle Cliff, West car park, situated just east of Hordle Cliff, as seen on a misty day, Wednesday 6th February 2019

[2015 - at Milford-Hordle car park]
A stretch of the coast with beach huts, adjacent to the so-called, Milford, Hordle Cliff West, car park, actually east, as seen in February 2015, before the beach here became reduced in width

[2019 - at Milford-Hordle car park - same place as above]
Unusually stormy weather in summer, at the Milford-Hordle car park and beach hut area, 10th August 2019

A stretch of the coast with beach huts, adjacent to the  so-called, Hordle Cliff West, car park, January 2019

A brownish, muddy sea during large wave action near the Milford Hordle Cliff West, car park, January 2019

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Beach levels, seen looking down the cliff at Milford-West-Hordle car park, low tide, 21st March 2019

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Localised increased, cliff erosion adjacent to a concrete corner structure, a type of sea-wall, seaward of the eastern end of the Hordle-Milford car park, as seen on the 20th January 2020

Erosion at the cliff to the southwest of the Hordle-Milford car park, as seen on the 17th January 2020

Broader view of coastal erosion and loss of beach material that is taking place in part of the area of huts adjacent to the  so-called, Hordle Cliff West, car park, January 2019

[position marker - 22Jan2020. corrected.]

Shortage of beach shingle at the beach at the Milford-Hordle car park is leading to loss or removal of some beach huts here, as seen in January 2020

The shingle beach at Milford - Hordle Cliff West, car park, in relatively stable condition on the 5th November 2019, although after a storm

A large wave approaches the beach huts down from the Milford-Hordle, car park, 17th February 2020, Ian West, 17th February 2020

Some shingle accumulation in the southeastern part of the beach at the Milford - Hordle car park, 5th November 2019, Ian West

Some beach huts, with one of them damaged by wave action, east of Milford-Hordle car park, 20th January 2020, Ian West

 Some beach hut damage, to the east of Milford-Hordle car park, as seen on the 17th February 2020, Ian West

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Huts, and a hang-glider, in an area of huts at some risk of erosion, near Hordle Cliff West, car park, 11th February 2019

[erosion - specific]

Coastal erosion and loss of beach material is taking place in part of the area of huts adjacent to the so-called, Milford, Hordle Cliff West car park, actually east of Hordle Cliff, on January 2019

[fenced off - early]

Fenced off area of beach huts, as seen on the 11th February 2019 at the beach near the Milford, Hordle Cliff West car park

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Aerial Photographs

Comparable aerial photographs from 1999 to 2018 at what is now an active erosion location, near the Milford-Hordle-Cliff, car park, and showing the extent of coastal retreat

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Milford-Hordle-West continued - Erosion at the Concrete Corner

Towards the east-southeastern end of the shingle beach at the Milford-West-Hordle car park there is a concrete sea-wall. The corner of this wall (i.e. the west-south-western end) is a good indicator of the extent of erosion that has taken place. Drastic changes have been seen within a few days or a week or so.

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A lateral view of the specific area where depletion of beach is taking place, near beach huts, Milford, West, Hordle Cliff car park, 17th February 2019 - erosion area, specific - concrete corner

A view at low tide of the erosion area, adjacent to beach huts, at Milford-West-Car-Park, 21st March 2019

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A general view of the eastern beach and beach-hut area, at Milford-West-Car-Park, 29th March 2019

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A storm in progress at the Milford-West-Hordle locality, Hampshire, on 3rd March 2019, with Ian West at the shore - erosion area - specific - concrete corner

The site of maximum coast erosion near Milford, West, Hordle Cliff car park, 3rd March 2019 - erosion area - specific - concrete corner

Coastal retreat of the shingle beach in front of the westernmost of the Milford-on-Sea car parks, near the eastern end of Hordle Cliff, Saturday, 9th February 2019, Ian West, 2019

After several storms, by the 29th April 2019, the beach at Milford-Hordle car park, just east of Hordle Cliff, is now fairly uniform and probably relatively stable for the present, but there has been retreat and several beach huts have now been removed from this location

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A concrete structure, now with a shingle bank above, and causing local recession on the western side, as seen on 11th February 2019

A concrete structure, now with a shingle bank above, and causing local recession on the western side, as seen on 11th February 2019

A dog-walker on the now-exposed, concrete wall, with her dog on the beach, at a falling tide, photographed from the cliff-top, 9th March 2019, Milford-Hordle-West car park

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Seawater, discoloured by mud, at Milford-Hordle-West car park, during an unusual summer storm on the 10th August 2019

The Needles, Isle of Wight, as seen from the Milford-Hordle-West car park, 5th November 2019

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Milford-Hordle-West continues - Beach Huts and Erosion

It is very unfortunate for the owners of beach huts that several, perhaps many, have had to be removed because the shingle was being eroded away from beneath them. At least one has toppled down onto the lower level of the beach. Sooner or later there will be relatively few beach huts left at the east-south-eastern area of the beach here.

Beach huts near Hordle Cliff (West) car park, with a passing hang-glider above, 11th February 2019, Ian West, 2019 - category huts

Shingle beneath beach huts is being removed by wave action, and causing some instability, at the front of the storm beach in the embayment at the western car park of Milford-on-Sea, and not far from Hordle Cliff, Saturday, 9th February 2019, Ian West, 2019 -  categoy huts

Beach Huts in vulnerable situations after a storm, at the beach of Milford-on-Sea, West, or the so-called Milford Hordle Cliff, car park, really situated just east of the main Hordle Cliff exposures - category huts

Beach huts at the eastern end of the cliff embayment, near Milford-on-Sea, Hordle Cliff (West) car park, now relatively stable and fenced off, 11th February 2019, category huts

Beach hut details at the eastern end of the cliff embayment, near Milford-on-Sea, Hordle Cliff (West) car park, 25th February 2019 - category huts

Beach huts, with one damaged by a storm of 3rd November 2019, as seen on the shingle beach near Milford-on-Sea, Hordle Cliff (West) car park, 5th November 2019

Details of erosion and exposed deposits near the eastern end of the beach stretch at Milford-on-Sea, Hordle Cliff (West) car park, 25th February 2019 - category huts

A view from above of recent sea erosion effects near some of the beach hut at Milford-on-Sea, Hordle Cliff (West) car park, 25th February 2019 - category huts

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At the  Milford-Hordle-West car park, looking across the shingle beach towards Hordle Cliff, 11th February 2019

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Introduction

Hordle Cliff is well-known as a place of historic coastal retreat; in fact the whole village of Hordle has been moved inland as a consequence of this. In recent times, though, there has been some substantial accumulation of beach shingle in the area near the Hordle Cliff West car park and there has been little coastal retreat just there (but much in the Taddiford - Becton Bunny area, further west). However, in 2018 and 2019 there seems to be a new phase of reduction of beach width near the so-called "Hordle Cliff West" car park, actually east of Hordle Clay. The beach reduction is marked near the eastern seaward corner of the car park, and near the eastern limit of the beach huts. A photograph above illustrates this. The erosional effects are limited at the moment, but some more landward retreat would not be surprising here. The matter is not simple because the erosion is close to the southeastern end of the large stretch of shingle beach without major sea defences. It might be expected that shingle, which moves in general from west to east by longshore drift, should accumulate near the projecting and presumably-retarding, concrete sea defences. However, it is not banking up on a large scale, but seems to be travelling on to some extent towards Milford-on-Sea (where there is now significant shingle accumulation). The matter is not, at present, fully understood here.

Small Pebble Size.

Beach pebble details adjacent to the so-called Hordle Cliff West car park, January 2019, beach pebbles are small

The pebbles adjacent to the beach huts near the "Hordle Cliff West Car Park" [i.e Milford West] are surprisingly small, about 2.5cm in length, for the area and the wave size. They are the usual material, i.e. reworked subangular, Pleistocene flint pebbles, and are very well-sorted.

It is a reasonable to consider just how secure, re erosion, the foot of the cliff at "Hordle Cliff West Car Park" is likely to be in a decade or two. Obviously, the chances are better if a good pebble beach remains. It may not, necessarily, retreat any further, but no definate predictions on its future stability can be made. Timber beach huts have all been destroyed or removed, further west at Milford-on-Sea, seafront after the 2014 storm. However, they were in a relatively vulnerable position and they have since been replaced by rows of new concrete beach huts (see Milford-on-Sea webpage ). Presumably the huts near the "Hordle Cliff West" car park survived the 2014 storm, at least partly because of the particular natural protection given by the beach. So, apart from the unusual concrete huts at Milford-on-Sea (and a few remaining timber huts, east of the White House) they are the most extreme easterly ones of Christchurch Bay [wave action can be potentially greater in eastern Christchurch Bay than western, because the southwestern waves arriving there from the Atlantic can easily pass Durston Head, Swanage].

Milford-on-Sea, Erosion and Sea Defences).

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Historic Comparison

Compare the following two photographs, from the same place, west of Milford-on-Sea, as seen in 2003 and 2019. There has recently been some more landward movement of beach shingle up from the low beach and onto the high promenade, which is now largely covered in shingle. Some beach huts have been removed. Obviously the sea continues its advance, although this is here seen to have been at a moderate rate, not a particularly fast one. The rock armour is almost unchanged.

View westward in October 2003 toward the beach hut area in the western part of Milford-on-Sea near the westernmost Milford-on-Sea, car park, referred to as Hordle Cliff West on the signposts

View westward on the 6th February 2019, toward the beach hut area, Hordle Cliff West - so-called, in the western part of Milford-on-Sea

[LOCATION MARKER - HIGH HUTS - highhuts ]

Beach huts, with only some limited damage, fairly high above the sea, to the east of the Milford-Hordle car park, Milford-on-Sea, 20th January 2020

Diagram showing peak accumulation of shingle at the beach of Milford, Hordle, West, in the past, up to 1987, based on Nicholls and Webber, 1987

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A dark sky, with the sun behind cloud, a relic of destructively stormy weather, the previous day, at the beach huts at the eastern part of pebbly embayment, the so-called, Milford-West, Hordle Car Park, actually east of Hordle Cliff, on the 9th January 2019

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. LOCATION: MILFORD-ON-SEA, FAR WESTERN CAR PARK - SUPPLEMENT - 23rd FEBRUARY 2019

(known as: "Milford-on-Sea, Hordle Cliff West, Car Park" or similar description)

Selected Extracts from - Lymington Times Newspaper, Friday 22nd Feb. 2019.

"Beach hut demolition fury" [relevant to Coastal Recession]

"Owner are furious after 20 beach huts worth thousands of pounds were ordered to be demolished by New Forest District Council. They have been instructed to take down the structures without compensation on part of the foreshore at Hordle Cliff, near Milford, where erosion has swept the shingle from underneath. The area has been cordoned off and four are deemed to be at such risk of toppling over that they have been condemned by the NFDC and given a week to be taken down. Sixteen more owners have 90 days to take action. Owners are angry at NFDC for not doing more to prevent the erosion and claim that they have been left at the mercy of the elements. Some have suggested that space could be found nearby for them to move their beach huts. But the council says it has made people aware of the danger repeatedly in correspondence since several huts were destroyed by a storm in February 2014, and owners had to apply for planning permission to replace them. Fighting erosion there was "not economically justified", it said. ..... continues.

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LOCATION AND STRATIGRAPHY:

Paddy's Gap Area, Milford-on-Sea
- Unio Bed (No. 31)

Sequence of strata within Tawney and Keeping's Bed 31, the Unio Bed, ESE of Hordle Cliff, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, 2007

Seeds of the Water-Soldier or Water Aloe, Stratiotes, just below the Unio Bed, east of Hordle Cliff, Hampshire

Between the Hordle Cliff car park at Milford-on-Sea and the Paddy's Gap car park there are small but interesting cliff exposures of the Unio Bed (No. 30) and associated strata. The shining, "mother-of-pearl" shells of the freshwater mussel "Unio" are common here, but often broken. They are not the most abundant fossils. Gastropods, particularlyViviparus lentus (Solander), are conspicuous in almost every unit here. The very small gastropod Potamaclis turritissima (Forbes) is easily recognised by its descriptive name, but almost needs a handlens to see it well. At the base of the fossiliferous beds in the cliff is a thin band with numerous seeds of the Water Soldier or Water Aloe. These were known in Victorian times as Carpolithes but are now placed in the genus Stratiotes.

Fossil Erodona (Potomomya) shells, a type of Eocene freshwater bivalve, are abundant in the cliff of the Headon Hill Formation, between Milford-on-Sea westward to Taddiford Gap, and beyond, as seen here in the year 2020

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PLEISTOCENE - LOCATION:

Pleistocene Sarsen Stone near Paddy's Gap

A sarsen stone on the beach near Paddy's Gap, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire

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PETROLEUM GEOLOGY - LOCATION:

Hurst Castle Prospect (Partly offshore from Hordle Cliff and with possibility of drilling from nearby Downton)

(Lymington and New Milton, Hampshire - Petroleum Exploration License - PDL089 - Wessex Exploration Ltd.)

The Hurst Castle Prospect for oil in the Sherwood Sandstone, near Hurst Spit, Hampshire

Part of the New Forest region near Lymington has been under investigation for petroleum resources by Wessex Exploration Ltd. Details will be found by going to their website at: Wessex Exploration Limited (not necessarily available now).

Here is a small extract from the start of the webpage to draw attention to their work. Particularly see the good maps. Note the information on the Hurst Castle Prospect.

"Wessex Exploration Limited, bidding on its own in the 9th Landward Bid Round was awarded Petroleum Exploration and Development License (PEDL) 089 on 4 September, 2000. PEDL 089 is located in southern Hampshire near the towns of Lymington and New Milton, on the mainland opposite the western end of the Isle of Wight. The work obligation for the initial term of the PEDL was met when Northern Petroleum drilled the Bouldnor Copse 1 well, and fifty percent of the PEDL was relinquished in September, 2006. The PEDL is now in its second exploration period.

Wessex on 11 September, 2002 made an "Out of Round" application for a Petroleum Production License over the area immediately offshore from and adjacent to PEDL 089. Wessex was awarded License P1153 over this offshore area, effective 3 October, 2003. The primary term of this license expired in October, 2007, but was renewed by DBERR into a second exploration period.

A preliminary structural map of the Hurst Castle Prospect at the Sherwood Sandstone level is shown. Estimated P10 oil-in-place is of the order of 190 million barrels for the Sherwood reservoir alone, with possible recoverable reserve of 36 million barrels. A separate structural map shows four-way dip closure offshore, with possible P50 recoverable reserves in the 16 million barrel range." ... [continues].

See further details of the Hurst Castle Prospect.

They report that the Hurst Castle Prospect has potential recoverable reserves of the order of 36 million barrels from the Sherwood reservoir, in a Wytch Farm type fault-block feature. The primary reservoir is the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone. The Bridport Sands is a secondary objective as is the Frome Limestone (Great Oolite). In the same region an exploratory well was drilled at Boulder Copse across the West Solent on the Isle of Wight. The results were negative but Wessex Petroleum did not consider that this impacts on the prospectivity of the Hurst Castle objective.

Note that it is of interest regarding the New Forest National Park that the reservoir objectives are the same as those of Shell at Denny Inclosure (Lyndhurst - A).

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Milford-on-Sea-Miscellaneous

Canada Geese in a field near Hurst Spit, Milford-on-sea, they have moved inland in stormy conditions and sea-flooding of the marshes near Hurst Spit, early February 2020

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SELECTED REFERENCE

[Some particular papers may be listed here in connection with specific matters. See the Hurst Spit webpage for more papers relevant to the general region.]

Baker, K. 2018. Beach hut owners are forced to climb a vertical 12ft wall of pebbles to their £20,000 cabins after the council refuses to replenish shingle bank washed away by high tides. Beach hut owners cannot access them thanks to shingle being washed away. Owners of the £20,000 huts pay hundreds of pounds every year in ground rent They want the local authority to top up the beach with stones and pebbles. But New Forest District Council says this is a natural occurrence and won't pay. Daily Mail article. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5735567/Beach-hut-owners-left-high-dry-council-refuses-replenish-shingle-bank.html [This is not true re a "vertical wall" - there is a sloping bank of beach shingle of course; however beach huts are and have been definately at risk; by the 30th March 2020, several beach huts have been damage and some have been removed. It would not be surprising if natural coastal retreat necessitated the removal of some beach huts.]
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Cole, A. 1926. [RE THE HURST SPIT TSUNAMI OF 1882] Postmaster of Milford on Sea. Some Further Recollections of Milford, no. 23. Milford-on-Sea Record Society: Occasional Magazine, Volume 3, no 4, 1926.

"In September, 1882, a tidal wave [probably a tsunami from an earthquake] broke on the beach at Sturt filling up a considerable portion of Sturt Pond and the outlet, the salt water came up the Dane Stream, killing the fish, roach, carp, etc., and destroyed many of the apple trees in the gardens abutting on the stream. A new cutting was made near the original, but this soon filled up and the present one [in 1926] was made."

[note re Milford Hordle West - Car Park - Beach]

Nicholls, R.J. and Webber, N.B. 1987b. Coastal erosion in the eastern half of Christchurch Bay. In: Culshaw, M.G., Bell, F.G., Cripps, J.C. and O'Hara, M. (eds), 1987. Planning and Engineering Geology. Geological Society, London, Engineering Geology Special Publication, No. 4, pp. 549-554.
This paper discusses Hurst Spit before the natural feature was broken through and largely destroyed by storm erosion. Although it is out-of-date now with regard to Hurst Spit, it contains subject matter, still relevant to the beach at Hordle. Fig. 4 on p. 552 shows movement (lateral movement, up and down beach) of high water mark from 1867 (used as a reference line) to 1982. In particular, there was a major change shown peaking in 1982, of beach development at the Milford West Hordle car park. The beach had actually extended seaward (built-out) by 60 metres in 1982. This 1982 growth was the largest seaward development in the region. Because of the date of the paper, it is not clear as to what has happened since. (At the White House, there was retreat of the beach by 40 metres at the same date).

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am particularly grateful to Claire Osborne and Jan Wise for valuable information on coastal processes and coastal history in the Milford-on-Sea area. This is much appreciated.

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MORE SELECTED REFERENCES


Solent - Geology Bibliography - General
Solent - Geology Bibliography - Topics, Alphabetically

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Nicholls, R.J. and Webber, N.B. 1987. Coastal erosion in the eastern half of Christchurch Bay. From: Culshaw, M.G., Bell, F.G., Cripps, J.C. and O'Hara, M. (eds.) 1987. Planning and Engineering Geology. Geological Society Engineering Geology, Special Publication, No. 4, pp. 549-554. [written before the natural shingle of Hurst Spit had been almost breached, and much was lost; subsequently there was artificial replenishment of shingle]
Abstract: Christchurch Bay has a long history of shoreline recession and this has given rise to some major coastal engineering problems. An area of particular concern is Hurst Spit at its eastern end where the maximum rate of recession has increased from 1.5 metres per annum (1867-1968). Hurst Castle itself is now subject to wave attack on part of its frontage. The littoral sediment movement was assumed to be essentially continuous around Christchurch Bay [it certainly is not now! -imw] but, in fact, a littoral drift sub-cell boundary (i.e. a partial barrier to littoral drift) is present in the vicinity of Hordle Cliff. Therefore, the increased recession of Hurst Beach is a local problem. Milford-on-Sea is situated on a thick sequence of Pleistocene Gravels, whose erosion contributed substantially to the maintenance of Hurst Castle Spit [Hurst Spit] as a major physiographic feature. However, a series of coast protection works were constructed to protect Milford-on-Sea between 1936 and 1968, removing this important source of sediment. In the long term, without any human interference, recession rates upt 6m per annum will probably occur along Hurst Beach. A breach of Hurst Beach is a major concern, as it would create an island at Hurst Caste and expose the vulnerable low-lying, northern coast of the West Solent, including the village of Keyhaven to increased wave attack and tidal scour. Ecologically important saltmarshes would also be destroyed. Shingle renourishment is the only environmental acceptable engineering solution. Limited renourishment has already commenced. Any cost benefit decisions must consider the wider implications of a breach in Hurst Beach, including environemental and ecological considerations. This case study demonstrates the importance of a detailed understanding of both the littoral and offshore sediment movement for the planning coast protection.

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Ian West returning on the cliff top after visiting the Crocodile Bed exposure at Hordle Cliff, 25th February 2019

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APPENDIX - MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

PADDY'S GAP SECTION

[location, cliff section, west of the White House, Milford-on-Sea, now with the Paddy's Gap Car Park, on the cliff top.]

Extract from: Osborne White, H.J. 1915, The Geology of the Country near Lymington and Portsmouth. Geological Survey of England and Wales, Explanation of Sheets 330 and 331 (Mainland). 78pp. Based on the paper: Elwes, W. 1883. The Middle Headon Marine Bed at Hordwell. Geological Magazine, 1883, pp. 527, 528.

At Paddy's Gap a trial-pit, opened by Messrs. H. Keeping and J.W. Elwes in 1883, with the object of settling a tiresome controversy concerning the position of the marine Headon Beds in the Hordle Cliff section, revealed the following descending sequence: -

SECTION AT PADDY'S GAP

[Based on J.W. Elwes' paper - 'The Middle Headon Marine Bed at Hordwell', Geological Magazine, 1883, pp. 527, 528.]

Soil - 1 foot.
PLATEAU GRAVEL, ironstained at base, - thickness - 25 and a half feet [unusually great thickness]

MIDDLE HEADON

Whitish Sand - Thickness - 1 to 1 and a half feet. [probably this thickness is just for the sand rather than for both the sand and the marine bed beneath]

Marine bed: sand and comminuted shells, chiefly of small estuarine and marine species, including Cyrena obovata (J. Sow.), C. pulchra (J. de C. Sow), Meretrix incrassata (J. Sow), Ostrea velata S V. Wood, Pisania labiata (J. de C. Sow), Murex sexdentatus J. de C. Sow., Melanis acuta (J. Sow), Cancellaria elongata Nyst, Scala laevis (Morr.), Neritina aperta (J. de C. Sow.), N. concava J. de C. Sow., Potamides vagus (Sol.), P. ventricosus Sow.

LOWER HEADON

Light bluish-green clayey sand with Viviparus and Unio

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"As far as it is recorded, the fauna of the Middle Headon here is that of the Neritina Bed of the western part of the Isle of Wight: the most characteristic of the species of the Brockenhurst Beds are absent. There is evidence, in fallen material, that the Middle Headon occurs in the upper part of the cliff nearer Milford, and clay with Meretrix incrassata was noted by Mr. Clement Reid at Woodend, near the coast south of Lymington. Further east, older beds are brought up by the anticlinal flexure mentioned on p. 7; and beyond the mouth of the Lymington River nothing more is seen of the Middle Headon along the northern shore of the Solent. [i.e. Lower Headon at Lepe?] Dr Ian West, author of these webpages

Webpage - written and produced by:


Ian West, M.Sc. Ph.D. F.G.S.

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at his private address, Romsey, Hampshire, kindly supported by Southampton University,and web-hosted by courtesy of iSolutions of Southampton University. The website does not necessarily represent the views of Southampton University. The website is written privately from home in Romsey, unfunded and with no staff other than the author, but generously and freely published by Southampton University. Field trips shown in photographs do not necessarily have any connection with Southampton University and may have been private or have been run by various organisations.