An introduction: if you walk a very short distance westward from the cliff-top, car park at Barton-on-Sea, you get an idea of the state of the cliffs, whether stable and unchanging or with some limited coastal retreat at that particular place, on that particular date (note that the photograph above is an old one from 2016). The cliff situation may be different from year to year (all photographs here are dated).

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[Introduction - Including Terminal Groyne Syndrome (near Becton Bunny)]

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Introduction: This is a progressively enlarging record of recent erosion, landsliding and mudsliding at the classic, coastal locality of Barton-on-Sea. On the stretch of the Barton and Highcliffe coast, over centuries, part of a castle, a coastguard station, a cafe and part of a court building have either gone over the cliffs, or been demolished before they fell. Particular places in Christchurch Bay, such as some of the Mudeford area and the well-known Hurst Castle have survived for a very long time. There are special reasons for survival of an old coastline at the ends of bay, with more erosion in the middle.

Barton-on-Sea, in particular, is a well-known place to study coast erosion and sea-defence work, some successful, some partly successful, and some failed. More erosion at the present (2016-2017) is occurring further east, down drift, in the Barton Golf Course and Hordle Cliff area, as a result of the Barton Sea Defences (the so-called "Terminal Groyne Syndrome") which commonly occurs at the end of sea defences holding back natural shingle. Hurst Spit contains material, including fossils, from the Barton Cliffs, which fed it, but it is not now supplied because of human interference at Barton. Thus the ancient spit tends to break, in part, periodically. It has in the pase been necessary in a sense to choose either major sea defences at Barton or a continuation of the natural processes of erosion and thus a natural feeder supply to the spit. The major sea defences were chosen.

Another factor that could affect Barton and elsewhere on the south coast is the return of a great, exceptional storm. The disastrous 1 in about 250 year storm was last here in 1824. Earlier there was a tsunami in 1755 due to the Lisbon Earthquake but we do not know whether it was serious at Barton-on-Sea or minor (it affected ships at Portsmouth, a more protected locality). Of course we do not know what happened before. Now there is the factor of sea-level is rising in relation to global warming, although this is slow.

On other matters, note that the the offshore sea area directly to the south of the Barton cliffs, 98/7b and 98/12 (part) is licenced to the Australian, oil company NWE Mirrabooka. It probably contain thermally mature, Jurassic oil shales (source of Wytch Farm oil). The present low oil price may reduce chances of offshore exploration very near to Barton-on-Sea in the near future.

[This was written in the past. Note in October 2018. The oil price is now high again, and "fracking" has restarted in the north of England.]

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Barton and Highcliffe - General (introduction to the geology of Barton and Highcliffe)
Barton, Highcliffe and Christchurch Bay - History of Coast Erosion
Barton and Highcliffe - Geological Bibliography (extensive, with many abstracts and additional notes)
Hordle Cliff (continuation eastward. Headon Hill Formation etc.)
Hurst Spit (barrier beach at the southeastern end of Christchurch Bay)
Hengistbury Head (Eocene and Pleistocene exposures; ironstone)
Bournemouth Cliffs (Eocene and Pleistocene exposures; leaf beds etc.)

LOCATION, GENERAL -

Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire

See Barton-on-Sea location on zoomable Bing aerial photographs and maps. See also Google Earth.

INTRODUCTION:

Safety and Risk Assessment

For information on safety at the cliffs of Barton and Highcliffe please go to the safety section in the introductory webpage to the Barton and Highcliffe coast. In addition beware of any danger associated with sea-defence works such as loose, moving rock, projecting metal work, machinery etc. and do not climb on unsafe structures. Individual geological visitors and field leaders should make their own risk assessments and no liability is accepted.

Type of Webpage:

This webpage on coast erosion at Barton and Highcliffe is intended primarily for geological and geomorphological education and general introductory information. It is not a specialist engineering geology assessment of the cliffs, suitable for professional or legal use. Risk to properties on the cliff top is not discussed in detail here. Of course, it is well-known that losses of buildings have taken place in the area, from the days of the original Highcliffe Castle and before that. The history and the problem of future losses has made the coast of Barton-on-Sea and Highcliffe a notable place for environmental and geographic studies. An overview of the problem from a planning and coastal management perspective is given in Few, Brown and Tompkins (2004). For specific local information see particularly the key publications of New Forest District Council on coastal management and plans. Every effort is made to give correct factual data and references but no technical advice or criticism is intended to be given here and no liability is accepted. If attention is drawn by email to any errors then they will be corrected.

Poole and Christchurch Bays, Shoreline Management Plan - SMP - Key Publications

See these important documents on the plans for the coastal management or shoreline management of the area. Summarised contents of a version are given below and look for the section of interest. However, this SMP is not the final version, and there will be an update. If you do not find it directly from the links here, search by Google etc for the latest version, using the keywords - "Poole Christchurch SMP".

Poole and Christchurch Bays Coastal Management Group. 2010. (SMP - Shoreline Management Plan)
Poole and Christchurch Bays Coastal Management Plan (or SMP - Shoreline Management Plan). Draft SMP2. Draft version of the SMP, later to be replaced by final version (see this when it is available. SMP2 is due to be published in April 2010.). Available online as PDFs at Poole and Christchurch Bays Coastal Management Plan.

Contents: Draft SMP2
Section 1, Introduction
Section 2, Environmental Assessment
Section 3, Basis for Development of the Plan
Section 4, Appraisal of Options and Rationale for Preferred Plan:
Section 4.1, Introduction.
Section 4.2, Policy Development Zone 1 Central and Eastern Sections of Christchurch Bay (Hurst Spit to Friars Cliff).
Section 4.3, Policy Development Zone 2 Christchurch Harbour and Central Poole Bay (Friars Cliff to Flag Head Chine).
Section 4.4, Policy Development Zone 3 Poole Harbour and Associated Coastline (Flag Head Chine to Handfast Point, including Poole Harbour).
Section 4.5, Policy Development Zone 4 Swanage (Handfast Point to Durlston Head).
Section 5, Summary of Preferred Plan and Implications
Section 6, Policy Summary, including Policy Summary Map.
Appendices (all documents open in a new window)
Appendix A, SMP Development.
Appendix B, Stakeholder Engagement.
Appendix C, Baseline Process Understanding, including Coastal Process Report and Flood and Erosion Mapping. Accessible from a separate page including No Active Intervention (NAI) and With Present Management (WPM) assessments, and summaries of the data used in assessments.
Appendix D, Natural and Built Environment Baseline (Thematic Review).
Appendix E, Issues and Objective Evaluation.
Appendix F, Strategic Environmental Assessment.
Appendix G, Scenario Testing.
Appendix H, Economic Appraisal.
Appendix I, Estuary Assessment.
Appendix J, Habitat Regulation Assessment - Appropriate Assessment.
Appendix K, The Metadatabase, GIS and Bibliographic Database is provided to the operating authorities on CD. It will be included in the final SMP.
Appendix L, Water Framework Directive (WFD)
Appendix M, Review of Coastal Processes and Associated Risks at Hengistbury Head.

LOCATION:

Friars Cliff, Mudeford to Highcliffe Castle.

West of Highcliffe Castle there is a well-developed beach of sand with some subangular flint pebbles. The photograph has been taken at the rock groyne seaward of Highcliffe Castle, looking eastward at dusk. This is the western most of the large groynes at the present time (December, 2001). With adequate sand this western part of Christchurch Bay has been relatively stable for some years and there is little need for sea defences here. The stability is shown by the fact that the undercliffs have a dense, mainly wooded, vegetation cover that was planted long ago and they have developed an aesthetically attractive, natural appearance. This stretch of coast has not always been so relatively free from erosion. The vertical cliff of Highcliffe Sands, presumably the original "high cliff", is the consequence of undercutting by the sea, although it reaches the cliffs now. This western stretch of coast is protected to some extent from erosion by southwesterly storm waves (the prevailing wind is southwesterly) by the projecting headland of Hengistbury Head. The origin of the large sandy beach is more complicated. At certain times in the past Mudeford Spit has extended from Hengistbury northward to the Run (the entrance to Christchurch Harbour) and then northeast and parallel with the coast in the direction of Highcliffe. The details of this will, in due course, be discussed separately, but in the meantime, please consult the papers of Burton (1931) and Tyhurst (1994). These consider the possible consequences of the removal of ironstone from Hengistbury Head in the 19th Century in allowing sand from Poole Bay (Bournemouth coast etc) to travel eastward round the headland and extend the spit. After breaches of the spit much of this sand has finished up on the shore at Avon Beach and Friars Cliff.

The Naish Farm section of cliffs from Chewton Bunny at Highcliffe eastward to Barton Cliff House forms the conserved stretch where erosion still continues and where there is a high degree of exposure and fossils can be collected. The cliffs here are retreating in a manner similar to that of the natural recession of the coast. A consequence of this is a low-angle, pleasant sand and gravel beach of natural appearance which is used by walkers, swimmers and surfers. It is, therefore, a useful amenity. Geologists and conservationists, in particular, consider this remaining section too important to conceal with sea-defences. At the top of the cliff there is a holiday camp rather than permanent housing, but unfortunately, as the pictures show. this much suffer some problems from the coastal retreat. Much of the remainder of the Barton and Highcliffe coast once looked natural, with eroding cliffs, like this Naish Farm area. For understanding degradation processes here consult the papers of Dr Max Barton.

The original coastline was relatively straight (examine old maps), in balance, and supplying shingle destined for Hurst Castle Spit (which contains Barton Clay fossils from here - Clavilithes). This present Naish Farm section of the coast is not natural in the sense that it represents an embayment between sea-defences. Loss of natural supply of beach material by longshore drift (from west to east) probably enhances the local erosion rate, but later when the embayment is deeper it might erode at a slower rate than would open unprotected coast. It will take some more years to find out whether this will happen. For more on the erosion rate, here, see the separate Naish Farm erosion section.

Naish Farm [Naish Estate] Section continued

- Coastal Recession of the Barton Clay

Various papers by Dr Max Barton and his co-authors have provided important information on the erosion and degradation of the Barton Clay. There has been a particular invesigation into the cliff degradation of the Barton Clay cliffs at the Naish Farm area of Highcliffe where erosion of this clay is most obvious.

First the rate at which the coast has retreated must be considered. Barton and Coles (1984) stated that the rate of recession here in the nineteen fifties was only 0.4m per annum. Although this is still quite a high rate for the south coast of England, it was not extreme because there was already an excess quantity of beach material here. Barton and Coles (1984) said that this had been discussed by Wise (1963), although the present writer has not seen this report. Certainly Burton (1931) discussed changes in the position of the Run at Mudeford and the periodic breaching of Mudeford Spit, and this resulted in a supply of sand to the western parts of the Highcliffe coast. Later when the excess of material was lost by longshore drift (eastward), the coastal recession which accelerated to 1.3m per annum.

There was a further change to a significantly rapid rate of to 1.9m per annum at Naish Farm during the nineteen seventies, probably because the Highcliffe groynes were constructed just before this decade (in 1968-1970). Beach material here, shingle and sand moves in general in an easterly direction by longshore drift. The groynes trapped much of the material from passing from west to east, as, of course, they are designed to do. This, however, led to some "starvation" of the beach at Naish Farm and some "terminal scour" as a consequence (see the Joint Local Inquiry Report of the Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, 1975). The originally fairly uniform coast now has a notable "step" in it and a new shallow bay has been created. This now, though has a sandy beach with some shingle, quite pleasant for tourists, and with "natural" fossiliferous cliffs that are educational and informative.

Naish Farm Section continued

- Collapse of Barton Clay Cliffs to Form Benches

The cliffs at Naish Farm, and in the past, all along the Barton coast section, are conspicuously terraced. These terraces or benches and their mode of formation was investigated by Barton and Coles, (1984) in their studies on the degradation of the cliffs just here (and see also other papers by M. Barton). Prior to their study the increase erosion in this area, as discussed above, steepened of the overall cliff angle from an average of 14 degrees in 1947 to a maximum recorded average of 19 degrees in 1976. The cliffs were, thus, particularly prone to landsliding and were found to collapse predominantly on a series of major shear planes (Barton, Hillier and Watson, 2006), more or less horizontal, but curved up at the back (at the landward side). The shear planes are located at certain lettered and numbered, geological horizons within the Barton Clay. These are shown in the cliff section illustration. They result in obvious benches or terraces in the cliff. These benches consist of collapsed clay debris and have top surfaces several metres or more above the specific shear planes. The benches have been named by Barton and Coles, (1984) as in the following sections:

Naish Farm Section continued

- - - The Top Scarp

The Top Scarp, shown here, is a cliff of a few metres high in brown-stained, subangular flint gravel, with some Brickearth or loam above. Both the gravel and the brickearth are of Pleistocene age. This is the Tenth River Gravel Deposit of the Geological Survey. Palaeolithic artefacts have been found in the gravels of this stretch of cliff. Slices of the gravel and loam cliff top subside on curving shear surfaces in the Barton Clay beneath.

The top-left photograph was taken in 2001 about midway between Barton and Highcliffe, and just west of the western end of the Barton section of sea-defences. There is a greensward on the top of the cliff here. Notice the block with brickearth which is out of position on the right, still with its soil and grass capping. A semicircular area has collapsed on the left. Incidently, you can see sand lenses in the periglacial, braided-river gravels.

The top-right photographs and the bottom photographs, all taken in 2003, shows collapse of the gravel at the Top Scarp at Naish Farm, just east of Chewton Bunny. Here coast erosion is a constant problem. Clearly some of the falls are quite recent.

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NAISH FARM SECTION continued

- - - F2 Bench

This bench is near the top, in front of the top scarp. It is a narrow bench based in a shear plane at the base of bed F2, and with Plateau Gravel forming much of the back-scarp cliff. You can see it in the photograph above and in the central photograph below. The bench contains collapsed gravel debris and is broken up by a number of fissures parallel to the cliff. The flint gravel is progressively disrupted and becomes mixed with clay and turves of soil and grass, and slides gradually down the cliff.

LOCATION:

Naish Farm Section continued

- - - D Bench

As shown in the left and central photographs above, the middle bench, forms the extensive central part of the cliffs. There is the F scarp at the landward (northern) side of it with exposure of the upper part of the Middle Barton Clay. Shearing curves down from the scarp and continues nearly horizontally near the base of bed D, and beneath the terrace shown. See Barton, Hillier and Watson (2006 ) for information on the initial origin of the D shear surface by a lateral rebound response to coastal recession.

This middle bench is complex in pattern with much colluvium (debris) and also ponds developed as a result of rotational movement (notice the bullrushes in the pond in the central photograph, although they are have largely died off in this winter scene). These ponds, shown in the photographs, are mostly present near the F scarp. Small alluvial fans extend into the ponds and miniature deltas develop, as shown in the right-hand photograph (looking southward with reflection from the sun; note the little distributaries on the delta; note also how the reeds have grown on the shallower southern slope, away from the clay scarp). Not shown in these pictures are amphitheatre-like features which develop in places as a result of specific landslides.

LOCATION:

NAISH FARM SECTION continued

D Scarp and D Shear Surface

The D Scarp contains the D Shear Surface, shown in the photographs here. The name has been given by Barton and Coles (1984) because of this shear plane. Do not confuse this reference to D with the strata present in this scarp. It is mostly in Bed C, the Voluta suspensa Bed, the shear surface being almost at the base of Bed D. Lower down and in front of it is the A3 Bench of colluvium. Debris is falling onto this from the shear surface, which is very slowly moving forward. If you stand on the beach in this area, you may sometimes see small pieces of clay falling from the shear plane. However, this only happens when sliding is very active. This fresh, damp debris is browner in colour than the older material. It is dominantly weathered sandy clay from the Barton Formation, but with some yellowish-brown, flint gravel intermixed. This gravel has come from the Pleistocene, Plateau Gravel high in the cliff and has fallen into the other colluvium on a higher bench. Apart from this there is some plant material, and pieces of septarian nodules.

LOCATION:

NAISH FARM SECTION continued

- - - A3 Bench

This is the low bench extending upto about 3m above the beach, and obvious from the shore at Naish Farm. The shearing is at the base of A3. Further east, near the old gun emplacement, this disappears eastward under the beach, and the lowest sea cliff is then formed by bed C, beneath the D Bench.

Thus, the presence of the three shear surfaces at various elevations within the cliff produce a benched type of cliff profile, comparable with that seen in the Gault and Lias Clay controlled cliffs of Fairy Dell, near Charmouth, Dorset and can be seen in the London Clay of the Isle of Sheppey. Barton and Coles (1984) pointed out that excavating the toes of such landslides has reactivated slides of this type in the USA.

LOCATION:

NAISH FARM SECTION CONTINUED

- - - Degradation Processes

The degradation processes, according to Barton and Coles (1984), include scarp slumping, spalling (including toppling and soil falls), bench sliding (involving movement of colluvium over a preferred bedding plane), debris sliding (including movement of screes over clay scarps), mud sliding (i.e. traditional lobate 'mudflows'), mud runs (true flows), stream (or gully) erosion and man-related processes. The diagram alongside, after Barton and Coles, shows the main processes. Regular surveying and monitoring using a variety of techniques and having to surmount difficult field conditions, has begun to elucidate the characteristics, rates and inter-relationships of these processes. A flow chart representing the systematic transfer of soil from the in situ state via various colluvial modes (including the three bench levels) en route to the sea and an accompanying colluvial soil budget for the year July 1981 to July 1982 has been drawn up. It is shown that bench sliding is by far the most significant process in terms of volume of colluvium moved through the undercliff, accounting for 93 percent of the total volume of colluvium contained in the area. Mud and debris sliding, although important processes, are of relatively minor importance.

- Exposure Ratio

Barton (1998) has put forward the theory of Exposure Ratio. This, ER = (sum of exposed strata height/total cliff height) x 100. In other words it is just the relative height of exposed strata.

The table below, from Barton (1998), gives approximate values of exposure ratio in the Naish Farm area, east of Highcliffe. Accumulations of colluvium now cover the basal scarp at locations 1 and 2 because of the construction of a strong point at Chewton Bunny. Prior to this the exposure ratio at both of these locations would have been larger.

No.	Easting Range (N.G.R.)	Recession Rate (m. /annum) (1982-1993)	Exposure Ratio (%) (maximum value)
1	2182-2183	0.74	34
2	2186-2190	1.14	39
3	2215-2225	1.14	54
4	2230-2235	1.71	55
5	2245-2250	0.94	47
6	2260-2270	0.60	23
Mean		1.045	42

An important point made by Barton (1998) is that the type of cliff degradation that takes place results in much of the cliff being covered by colluvium (see diagram above). This means that only certain limited stratigraphical horizons are well-seen at any one time. Before the sea-defences were constructed various parts of the Barton succession were seen at different places along the coast. For instance, the Earthy Bed (E) is actually present at Naish Farm but is now rarely seen in good condition. The main exposures of this were further east and I used to collect from it in the area now covered by the Barton-on-Sea sea-defences. The old geological literature on the coast shows that various parts of the dipping succession have been seen at various places and at various different times. The cliffs have never been static and neither have the positions of the exposures. Dr Barton explains that certain specific stratigraphical levels, of around 0.5 to 1.0m above the preferred plane shear surfaces, have never received the stratigraphical and palaeontological study such has been devoted to the rest of the sequence. From a stratigraphical point of view, the colluvium never makes up the deficiency since the solid strata are completely remoulded within the interior of the benches by the intense shearing suffered by the softened material as it accomodates to the markedly non-circular slip surfaces.

Dr Barton states that the prediction of the likely exposure ratio of benched-form clay cliffs following partial toe protection will need to encompass a series of factors which he lists. The main objective is to avoid both the high rates of recession associated with rapid toe erosion and the eventual slope coverage associated with zero toe erosion. The aim therefore is for the state of moderate toe erosion (perhaps aiming at a value of about 0.3 to 0.6 metres per annum, although this would be subject to negotiation).

Such moderate toe erosion might be achieved at Naish Farm by an offshore breakwater or by partial beach replenishment. With the Chewton Bunny Stongpoint already reducing the exposure ratio at the western end of Naish Farm it is unlikely to please geologists and conservationists; with the cliff still retreating it may not please local objectors. It is, however, one possible way to resolve the problem of these cliffs and the original ideas in the Barton (1998) paper should be studied. If this scheme had originally been applied to the whole Christchurch Bay coastline and the blanketing sea-defences never constructed, it might have been acceptable to all. If and when the sea-defences ever collapse an offshore bar right round Christchurch Bay might be a solution but is likely to be unacceptable or impracticable or both (see section on the "Oceanus" scheme mentioned below).

LOCATION:

Between Naish Farm and the Barton Sea Defences

(see also the note on the D shear surface given above in the Naish Farm section)

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During 2007 there seems to have been some loss of beach material. This is know to have happened at Highcliffe early in the year the authorities carried out remedial work in the western Highcliffe area. Here further east there seems to have been some loss of beach material in 2007, although the exact date of the event is not known. The old gun emplacement of World War II, once on the cliffs, but now buried in the beach, acts as a marker. Scour has taken place around this and a coarser basal lag deposit of the beach has been exposed. A similar case of exposure of beach lag deposits has happened this year at Chilling Cliff in Southampton Water.

LOCATION:

The Cliff House Hotel Landslide of 2001

There was collapse of an area of sea defences at the western end of these, near Cliff House, (west of Barton Court) and also on a smaller scale between the Cliff House and Barton Court areas. The main feature, as shown in the photographs above, was a rotational landslide which had developed in the Barton Clay, probably facilitated by water from the Becton Sand or Barton Sand (upper part of the cliff). The rotation produced an upbulge in the lower cliff. This had broken and lifted a drainage system. In addition sheet piling in the area had been moved by the landslide and rotated from the vertical to various angles. This sheet piling is probably some of that emplaced in the 1960s or 1970s as part of an original scheme, which with the piping, was meant to control water within the cliff. When rexamined in November 2003, it was seen that a quantity of medium-sized, fossiliferous, Portland Stone blocks had been placed over the toe of the landslide, as some sort of remedial action.

Please go to the:
Barton Erosion History webpage for more information.

LOCATION:

Sea Road Access Landslide - 2009-2013 (and continuing?)

The Sea Road Access Landslide is situated at the former southern continuation of Sea Road. It near the site of the old coastguard station that was destroyed by erosion. It is referred to as an "Access" because it was used by the council workers for the access of machinery and trucks to the cliff stabilisation works. Like Hoskin's Gap, another former access point, it no longer provides access for vehicles, and recently not for walkers either. Only at Fisherman's Walk (east of Barton Court) is vehicle access to the cliffs possible now. At present much of the sea defence works at Barton can be repaired to some extent (especially east of Barton Court), but access is progressively being lost as the 1960s and subsequent coastal stabilisation works and cliff roads disappear into landslides. Natural processes are taking place and the cliffs are gradually returning to their pre-1960s state.

The Sea Road Access Landslide is part of a composite set of mudslides between Hoskin's Gap and Sea Road Access. The landslide in 2013 and earlier has now cut off the original road down the cliffs here. The middle cliff has substantially collapsed and and the landslide became major and wide by March 2013. The rock armour at the base does not seem to have been moved forward or up, as in the Cliff House Landslide.

- Introduction

- see also the History Section the part on a new collapse of the cliff between Cliff House and Barton Court area. --

The cliffs at Barton-on-Sea in the central part of Christchurch Bay are a place of scientific interest, civil engineering work, controversy, study, pleasure and concern. The discussion here is from a geological viewpoint. Obviously, most of the soft coast here, as elsewhere in southern England, is relatively temporary in geological terms. The sea will, of course, continue its transgression northwards across the soft clays and towards the New Forest. It could, perhaps be stopped, but only at enormous expense.

The sea has flooded the valley of the English Channel during the Flandrian Transgression of the last 10,000 years and the process has not finished. Indeed global warming might give a new boost, but this is not obvious yet. Christchurch Bay is a young feature resulting partly from sea-flooding and more particularly from erosion of the soft Eocene strata. There are numerous septarian nodules (concretions) on the seafloor that have come from former Barton Clay cliffs, long-since washed away. However, it must be stressed that the natural coastal retreat is not very fast in human terms and it may take a 1000 years or much more to go back a kilometre. With this background we will consider the critical central part of the Barton Cliffs.

The piece of coast considered here includes the central part of the Barton cliffs. There are various buildings here some of which are shown on old maps some way inland. There are quite large car parks on either side of these cliff-top buildings. A cafe on the western side has been demolished because it was being undercut by cliff erosion, but most of the original buildings still remain and relatively little has happened for about a quarter of century.

This is an important area for study, because the existence of the buildings here was the main reason for the construction of the Barton sea defences in the 1960s. They were not successful and failed in 1975, resulting in further work and the limited demolition on the cliff top. It is important to have some idea of future prospects here, although there is no certain information, especially regarding the rate of coast erosion. The diagram above shows some possibilities regarding long term future processes in the area. There are many unknowns and the rates of erosion are not easily predicted. Erosion does not take place a steady rate. There are phases when the cliffs are dormant, and other phases when excess rain and groudwater or great storms have drastic effects.

If you should have any have particular interest in this area it is recommended that you examine the data and coast erosion maps etc of the New Forest District Council . They provide much valuable information and alos indicate the area of ground at risk from coast erosion in the relatively near future.

This interesting central stretch is taken as extending from Barton Cliff House east to the end of the Barton Clay outcrop. This is some way east of Naish Farm Holiday Village to beneath Barton Golf Course. It is below part of Marine Drive West and beneath all of Marine Drive East. It is now backed by predominantly residential suburban development, with a small cluster of shops and other facilities. There are approximately 150 beach huts along the under-cliff at present (Wright, 1998).

The stretch of Barton cliffs on either side of Barton Court and the cliff-top houses is now protected to a large extent by sea-defences, shown above. Its former natural condition is shown by by old photograph from the 1950s (right-hand photograph). It was similar to the Naish Farm stretch with Barton Clay terraces, but with Barton Sands in the upper cliff as a source of landslide problems. The whole stretch of coast was relatively straight though with fairly even erosion throughout and there were no large embayments at Naish Farm or Becton Bunny at that time. However, coastal retreat at Barton was attaining about 1 metre per annum and was a cause of concern to some residents.

The cliffs here have been seen by geologists in the past as an impressive natural coast with excellent exposures of the Barton Clay, and a great attraction. However, in the 1930s the land above gradually became a suburban area of housing. The natural retreat of the cliffs caused a threat to some older houses near Barton Court. This has concerned local authorities and this part of the coast turned into a site of civil engineering works. The cliff was receding at almost a metre per annum and the cliff collapsing into terraces. Comparison can be made to the Naish Farm area, discussed separately. As a result a revetment for toe protection was built, drainage works took place and the slopes were covered with gravel and regraded. This is discussed further below. They are holding at present (2006), at least near the central buildings.

These main Barton sea defences have been described in the past by Muir Wood (1967;1971) and there is a more up-to-date report by Wright, D. (1998) which although brief is very informative and should be consulted. The following notes are partly based on these publications.

LOCATION:

Central Barton Section with Buildings on the Cliff Top

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1974-75 Winter - Failure of Part of the Stage 2 Works
(repeated here)

In that winter, there was a deep seated failures in the undercliffs in front of the buildings. This penetrated beneath the sheet-piling causing rotation, bowing and splitting of the barrier. Although later this was mostly covered over by dumping gravel, the rotated barrier is visible from time in new landslides. At the time mudslides surged over the sea-cliff and revetment and onto the beach. The cliff top receded 5-10m over a 150m front in 1975 (Clark et al., 1976 ; Wright, D., 1998). Failures in the clay seem to have been deeper than expected.

Displaced sheet-iron is shown above. With this illustration is a reproduction from Anonymous (undated, Coastal Erosion at Barton-on-Sea) showing some newspaper cuttings from that year. Another newspaper article follows, below, but it is not necessarily correct in every detail (the restaurant extension referred to reopened three weeks later). In particular, though, it is too optimistic in suggesting that there was no deep-seated problem, just a cliff-top fall. Here is the article, in entirety, but without paragraphs:

LOCATION:

BARTON PROTECTED SECTION continued

Rock-Armour - Carboniferous Limestone Blocks

To see the source quarry of the rock armour go to:

Mendip Hills webpage.

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For rock armour at Barton there has been much use of large blocks of Carboniferous Limestone from the Foster Yeoman Torr Works Quarry at Merehead, East Cranmore, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Lewis, Donovan and Sawford (2003). It is transported by both rail and road into the region, although these blocks were apparently brought by road.

More specifically, the limestone is Clifton Down Limestone Formation of the Holkerian of the Dinantian (Lower Carboniferous or Mississipian). Lewis, Donovan and Sawford (2003) reported a rich fauna of echinoderms, corals, bryozoans, trilobites, brachiopods and gastropods. The echinoderms include plates of the tests of the echinoids Palaechinus sp., Archaeocidaris sp. and an indeterminate echinoid. Numerous crinoid ossicles are present and calyces have been found of the crinoids platycrinitid sp., Actinocrinus sp. aff. A. rotundatus Wright, monobathrid sp. indet., camerate sp. indet. and Taxocrinus sp.

This Palaeozoic limestone was deposited as carbonate sands and mud about 350 million years ago. It was probably almost white on the tropical sea-floor but contained much organic matter which on burial produced the dark colour. Originally it would have been fairly porous, resembling Jurassic limestones. It has, however, been deeper buried than the Mesozoic strata. The Hercynian Orogeny about 300 million years ago was probably the major cause, though, of its almost complete loss of porosity, so that now it is denser and more brittle than most Jurassic limestones.

Similar rock armour has been used at Lepe Beach, Hampshire and see this webpage for further information.

Carboniferous Limestone - Fissure Fills

Within some of the Carboniferous Limestone blocks at Barton, Highcliffe, Lepe Beach and other places there may be fracture systems containing red, yellow or grey sediment. These are the Mendip fissures of the type that have been described in a well-known paper by Wall and Jenkyns (2004) [Gavin R.T. Wall and Hugh C. Jenkyns]. The reference and abstract of this paper is given below:

Wall, R.T. and Jenkyns, H.C. 2004. The age, origin and tectonic significance of Mesozoic sediment-filled fissures in the Mendip Hills (SW England): implications for extension models and Jurassic sea-level curves. Geological Magazine, vol. 141, part 4, pp. 471-504. (The full paper is available online).

Abstract: In the eastern Mendip Hills, on the northern margin of the Wessex Basin, SW England, the Carboniferous Limestone is cut by numerous fissures that are filled with Mesozoic sediments (sedimentary dykes, neptunian dykes). The fissures contain a record of Triassic-Lower Jurassic sediments that are only sparingly preserved in their normal stratigraphical position between the Carboniferous Limestone and the unconformably overlying Upper Inferior Oolite of Bajocian age. Detailed analysis of cross-cutting relationships, facies analysis, biostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy and strontium - isotope ages of relevant Mesozoic sediments has allowed the construction of an Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic fissure - fill stratigraphy for the eastern Mendip area. Most fissures were clearly formed by rapid influx of unlithified sediment from the land surface or sea floor. Some smaller cavities, or larger cavities with restricted access to the unconformity, were apparently filled by sediment that trickled down into the fissure system. The vast majority of the Mendip fissures are interpreted as having formed as a response of the Carboniferous Limestone, north of major basin - bounding faults, to pulses of tectonic extension during Ladinian-Norian/Rhaetian, late Hettangian-early Sinemurian, late Sinemurian-early Pliensbachian, mid-Pliensbachian, late Pliensbachian and Bajocian times. Triassic - earliest Jurassic fissures have a broad spread of strike from E-W to NW-SE to N-S, accommodating extension in a roughly NE-SW direction. Younger Jurassic fissures show well-defined E-W and N-S trends with the former becoming dominant through time. Total extension of about 4.7 percent N-S and approximately 0.6 percent E-W was produced by the formation of Triassic-Jurassic fissures within the Carboniferous Limestone. Such patterns of extension are thought likely to be characteristic of the subsurface geology in much of southern England and Wales. Major implications of this study are that: (1) the presence of seismically unresolvable sediment-filled fissures in supposedly rigid fault blocks can lead to a significant underestimate of regional extension based on the restoration of motion on normal faults on seismic-reflection profiles, and (2) the isolation of pulses of tectonic activity with a temporal resolution of 105-106 years may provide a means of identifying a tectonic signal in relative sea-level curves derived from the Jurassic sedimentary record.

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Interesting fissure fills ("neptunian dykes") with red and yellow sediment occur in the blocks of Carboniferous Limestone at Barton-on-Sea. See the paper of Wall and Jenkyns (2004) for a discussion of the origin of sediment-filled fissures in the Carboniferous Limestone of the Mendip Hills. Another example from similar Carboniferous rock armour at Lepe Beach is also shown for comparison.

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LOCATION:

BARTON PROTECTED SECTION continued

Rock-Armour - Replaced Evaporites in Dolomite or Dolomitic Limestone
(casts of halite - rock-salt etc. Within blocks of Carboniferous Limestone from the eastern Mendip Hills or Mendips).

If the rock armour of Carboniferous Limestone, from the eastern Mendip Hills, at the Barton shore just east of Hoskin's Gap is examined at low tide, some interesting evaporites will be found. Particularly conspicuous in an unfossiliferous dolomite are good calcite pseudomorphs after halite. Some of these are feathery or skeletal. They have all formed in the carbonate sediment when it dried out with a content of very hypersaline (near 350 ppt) brine. Associated with the halite is much nodular calcium sulphate replaced by calcite. This may have originated as gypsum, but in proximity to so much halite it is almost certain that it was changed diagenetically to anhydrite at an early stage.

[Note: the syn-Carboniferous calcitisation date: The example shown above, although from Milford-on-Sea, rather than Barton-on-Sea, shows that the calcitisation of the sulphate was quite early and prior to major overburden compaction. If, indeed, the calcitisation had not been pre-compaction, the nodule would, of course, been severely distorted by compaction.]

Go to the Qatar Sabkhas webpage to see more on modern analogues.

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LOCATION:

Cliffs Below Marine Drive East

Now we look again at the coast below Marine Drive East, eleven years later! The amount of shingle has increased.

The cliffs under Marine Drive East have always been steeper than those to the east. This is because there is a substantial thickness of Barton Sand overlain by Pleistocene gravel and Brickearth. These beds stand easily in near-vertical cliffs.

The problems are with the lower part of the cliff. The quicksand-like Chama Bed (H) is notorious for slumping when it is wet. It usually contains much water because it is at the base of the Barton Sands or Becton Sands. In the past many people have been stuck in the Chama Bed quicksands. This stratum also forms quicksands at springs in the New Forest and I have been temporarily stuck on horseback in such a sandy bog.

The 1967 sea defence works have so far been successful in this stretch and have not, as yet, failed. Successful drainage of the Chama Bed is a key factor. The bed is under the lower grassed slope. If the drainage system fails as a result of a minor landslide or through blocking of the pipes then there will collapse problems here of some extent. The original (pre 1967) state of the cliffs here was one of almost total collapse as shown in the old photographs above.

Although the cliffs below Marine Drive East are showing no significant sign of damage at present, it should be noted that they are not necessarily immune to the effects of a one in 250 year hurricane. When such a rare event next occurs it could erode the lower slopes and break up the drainage system. This stretch of coast is less threatened, though, than some other places. However, when such disastrous damage does hit the English Channel coast it is unlikely to receive much immediate repair because of serious problems elsewhere. Thus it must be remembered that very major storms could (and may) return this artificial piece of coastline to its natural slumped and eroding condition. In the meantime it is well-protected by sea defences, drainage and shingle nourishment. It is more secure than the central Barton stretch and comparable in some ways to the defended and drained Highcliffe stretch between Chewton Bunny and Highcliffe Castle.

In overview, with much shingle nourishment of the beach and longshore drift of shingle from west to east towards the groynes here, this is probably the best protected part of the Barton-on-Sea coast.

LOCATION:

BECTON BUNNY SECTION

- - - Introduction

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Terminal Groyne Syndrome east of Barton-on-Sea

[compare and contrast photographs from 2013 and 2017]

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Above the embayment at the terminal groyne of the Barton-on-Sea, coastal defences, there is a hazardous area of overhanging cliff edges, that is best avoided by keeping back from the cliff. From time the time the cliff path here has been moved landwards and is now, in part, actually on property that is part of Barton Golf Course. A notice there explains this. Obviously, the landward movement of the cliff top will continue. Next time a rare, full hurricane, like that of 1703 hits the area, substantial cliff retreat may suddenly occur. Even a lesser hurricane like that of 1824 will cause major coastal damage here and elsewhere. (in the meantime the coast retreats quite significantly under the effects of less violent, storms like those of 2014). Christchurch Bay is a rather new coast, characterised by "soft rock" cliffs of weak sandstone and clays.

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Becton Bunny is an example of the chines which are developed in relatively soft strata on the coast of Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight. They are small steep-sided ravines incised into broader valleys. This incision is the result of rapid retreat of the coast so that the stream has become rejuvenated and cut down to adjust to the new cliff location. Becton Bunny is very oblique to the coast and in the early 19 century the Bunny and Taddiford Gap were very close. The name "Becton" is, incidently, probably a corruption of "Beacon" which is used in some old publications. Unfortunately, the short, steep, ravine-like chine is probably doomed to disappear in a while by the very rapid coast erosion, leaving just the broader upper valley, which extends across the golf course.

The Becton Bunny area is a section of retreating and rapidly eroding coast without sea-defences at the eastern end of the Barton protected section. It is seaward of the Barton Golf Course. Here the Barton Sand (Becton Sand) is exposed and coastal recession is rapid due to relative starvation of beach material. This is known as "terminal groyne syndrome" or "terminal scour". In the original natural conditions the coast here was relatively straight and there was no embayment. The long-shore drift direction here is from west to east, as a result of prevailing southwesterly winds. Subangular flint shingle on the beaches travelled eastward to Hurst Spit . The Barton sea-defences have severely restricted supply and movement of shingle to this locality. However, some gravel from beach renourishment schemes may enter this area and, furthermore, the collapse of the cliffs just here provides some supply of gravel. Retreat may not necessarily proceed at a high rate indefinately because strongpoints exist both east and west of this stretch and they might form small headlands with a fairly stable bay in between.

To the east of the first embayment, which includes the mouth of small oblique valley of Becton Bunny is a promontory that formerly was occupied by a prominant old sewer pipe, a conspicuous iron construction. This was removed, probably for reasons of safety, in 2002. Rock armour has been placed at the site of the old pipe and this forms a strongpoint, retarding shingle movement eastward. Beyond there is yet another embayment at the beginning of the Hordle Cliff stretch of coast. Go to the Hordle Cliff Webpage for more information on this.

Examine these two photographs taken just over a year apart (September 2002 and October 2003). A steep or overhanging section of Pleistocene flint gravel is at the top. This is above sands and clays which mostly belong to the Becton Sands (Barton Sands) of the Barton Group (i.e. above the Chama Member and Barton Clay). The sands and clays are being rapidly eroded by the sea with some collapse and slumping. The cliff is unstable, oversteepened and retreating and it is important to keep away from the edge, which is often overhanging. There has been a bite-like retreat of the cliff-top in the year and erosion is moving rapidly in the direction of the Becton Bunny valley. The seats and path here clearly will not last for more than a few years.

In 1975 an application to extend sea-defences to this area by Lymington Council was rejected (Secretary of State, 1975). More details are given below. Beyond to the east is Hordle Cliff, discussed separately. In the past this Becton Bunny area has been part of the supply area for Hordle Cliff, Milford and Hurst Castle Spit. If shingle can pass the sewer pipe promontory to the east of these cliffs then it may still be helping to a limited extent to supply (and assist the protection of) the coast further east.

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LOCATION:

BECTON BUNNY SECTION continued

- - - From the Beach

From the beach the proximity of the last strongpoint of the Barton sea-defences, left in the photograph, and the actively-eroding embayment is obvious. This embayment differs appreciably from that at the eastern end of the Highcliffe sea defences. The cliff is very much steeper and contains beds of sand, parts of the Becton Sand or Barton Sand. The terraces and shear planes that are major features of Naish Farm are not present. Although there are some beds of clay, this type of failure does not seem to have occurred within them.

The Becton Bunny valley is seen oblique to the coast. This was once a rather larger chine. The steeper, seaward part within a broad valley has been formed by rejunenation caused by coast erosion moving the cliff-line and thus base-level landward. The stream has at some time cut a new thalweg adjusted to a new sea-coast position. The chines of Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight are of this origin. Becton Bunny is unusual in that coast erosion is now so fast here that soon the ravine-like chine part of the valley will be lost to the sea (compare with say - Alum Chine, Bournemouth). Note that the Long Mead End or Taddiford valley at Hordle Cliff has no such steep ravine because water-flow is northward to the Danes Stream and not to the sea.

The outflowing water of Becton Bunny normally passes through the beach shingle. When water-flow is high a small pond is developed at the back of the beach. There is an outflowing spring to the sea on the lower part of the beach where the water comes out of the beach shingle. The features are variable, though, according to recent rainfall; at the time of the photograph there was dry weather and very limited flow.

Left-hand image: photograph of the Becton Bunny stretch of coast shows that there was rapid erosion in January 2002. The evidence is the unusually clean and steep cliff face, revealing the subdivisions of the Becton Sand (Barton Sands). Of course, this would have been a peak time of year for erosion.

Right-hand image: This was taken in October 2002. During the summer degradation may have been dominant over retreat of the base of the cliffs and material has fallen and slumped. The autumn photograph probably show the results of this. An interesting factor is that there now seems to be more gravel present, protecting the cliffs. Is this from renourishment or natural processes such as the effects of constructive waves?

These photographs of the 6 November 2003 show the steep cliffs with sand and clay debris at the Becton Bunny embayment. In the left-hand picture both clay and sand can be seen to have fallen from the Becton Sand cliffs. There has been some renewed erosion by the sea at the foot of the cliff after the falls. This has reactivated a sand apron which shows signs of failure in the form of cracks at various angles. It seems to be sliding over the clay. The right-hand image probably shows the effects of recent heavy rain after a long dry summer. Much limonite (or goethite) occurs in the lower part of the Pleistocene flint gravel. These gravels are generally brown because of iron oxide content. In particular, though, iron-pans commonly form at the base of the gravel due to downward transport of the dispersed iron oxide during development of a podzol soil profile. Water passing though the permeable gravels may emerge just above the base. Such water may be ferruginous and mixing with mud can produce these brown trickles down the cliff. With this brown mud there are some fallen blocks of iron-pan (containing pebbles). This is probably the explanation of the features seen, although it should be noted that an alternative source of iron is provided by chalybeate springs which emerge from the Becton Sands because of the oxidation of pyrite. Examples can be seen in the Becton Bunny Bed in the cliffs at the sewer pipe promontory. Thus, the higher part of the cliff needs examination to determine for certain as to whether these brown trickles are from the Pleistocene gravel or from pyritous parts of the Becton Sand.

Becton Bunny Cliffs - Application for Coast Protection Works, 1975.

There was a Public Inquiry into a proposal to construct Sea Defences at the cliffs near Becton Bunny. Here is a summary of the Inspector's report.

Secretary of State, Department of the Environment. 1975. Town and Country Planning Act 1971. Application by the former Lymington Council. This is from a copy of a letter regarding a Joint Local Inquiry into an application by the former Lymington Borough Council to carry out coast protection works involving the construction of stone and concrete tripod revetments at Barton Cliff below the golf course and east of Becton Bunny. It gives the statement of the Inspector and is authorised by the Secretary of State. The Inspector said: "1. Bearing in mind the above findings of fact I am of the opinion that the construction of the proposed sea defence work would defeat the purpose of notifying the Barton Cliffs as a Site of Special Scientific Interest whose international importance as demonstrated by the support given to the case by the Nature Conservancy Council by geologists and others from all parts of the world. Also I am not satisfied that the works proposed would be more than a short term palliative and it seems probable that further remedial measures would be needed in the future.. 2 (unreadable few lines of the copy)...obscures the lower sections. The marked contrast between protected and unprotected cliffs (particularly in the most important sections) is such as to convince me that the proposed development would seriously diminish if not eliminate, the value and purpose of the SSSI. It would clearly be contrary to the provisions of the development plan and hence is unacceptable... 3. The history of coastal protection in Christchurch Bay seems to have been one of piecemeal construction of groynes and revetments, followed by small additions to protect the previous works. This has resulted in starvation of beach sediment on the down-current (eastern) end of any works and consequent severe cliff erosion. The likelihood is that the works covered by the application would merely displace the area of intense erosion to a point further eastwards and reduce the supply of protective beach material. 4. In view of the great importance of the SSSI to geology and the absence of valuable building land or property in the threatened area (only one green on the golf course might be affected and it is already very close to the cliff edge), I consider that planning permission should not be granted to the present proposals and that coastal protection in this area should be studied in a general survey by a body specialising in that subject. It is highly desirable that small lengths of sea defences should not be built until the outcome of such an investigation is known, but it this proves impossible, only protective measures which do not conflict with the geological requirements of the SSSI should be undertaken. From the evidence adduced, it seems to me that the proposed scheme is of doubtful merit, and other methods should be considered. 5. The Assessor, Dr. E.C. Freshney, agrees with my conclusions... The Inspector recommended that planning permission should not be granted." ... This continues with further comments of the Secretary of State and which are generally in agreement with the Inspectors conclusions. Planning permission is refused.

Storms and Sea-erosion

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Major and damaging storms occur, then, at fairly distant intervals of time, with relatively little happening between. They are particularly damaging to the Barton and Highcliffe area if they are from the southwest, where there is the greatest fetch. The coast is fairly well protected from the southeast by the Isle of Wight, and the fetch from the south is not so great as from the southwest. Of course, iff the storms coincide with high spring tides then the likelyhood of rapid coastal retreat is greater.

Recession Rates - Barton, Highcliffe, Hordle and Elsewhere

The following table provides some additional data on coastal recession at Barton and elsewhere. It is mostly from the classic work of Dr Max Barton. Most of the Barton (1973) data is only estimated approximately from fig. 3 in that paper. The original diagram should be consulted for precise information on Christchurch Bay coastal recession. It provides plots of recession for toe and top of the cliff at six localities: Highcliffe Castle, Beacon Lodge, Highcliffe Car Park, Lob's Hole, Barton Cliff (west) and Barton Court. The information is based on Ordnance Survey 1:2,500 maps from 1869 to 1959 with aerial photographs for 1947, 1957 and 1966.

The Barton recession seems to be close to a metre per annum at maximum. It is interesting to note, however, that coastal recession more extreme than at Barton, and probably the greatest in the region, occurs at Hurst Castle Spit (Nicholls and Webber, 1987). Here it has attained 3.5m per annum from 1968 to 1982. The construction of sea-defences at Milford-on-Sea from 1936 to 1968 have limited the sediment supply and are a major factor in this rapid retreat.

Years	Location (N.G.R.)	Recession Rate (m. /annum)	Author
1982-1993	Naish, 2182-2183	0.74	Barton, 1998
1982-1993	Naish, 2186-2190	1.14	Barton, 1998
1982-1993	Naish, 2215-2225	1.14	Barton, 1998
1982-1993	Naish, 2230-2235	1.71	Barton, 1998
1982-1993	Naish, 2245-2250	0.94	Barton, 1993
1982-1993	Naish, 2260-2270	0.60	Barton, 1993
1869-1966	Beacon Lodge, Highcliffe	0.23 (cliff toe)	Barton, 1973, fig. 3
1869-1966	Lobs Hole (Naish)	0.52 (cliff toe)	Barton, 1973, fig. 3
1869-1966	Barton Court	0.86 (cliff toe)	Barton, 1973, fig. 3
1869-1966	Barton Cliff, West	0.96m (cliff top)	Barton, 1973, in text
1960s	Barton cliffs - general	0.6-0.9m	Wright, 1998
1867-1968	Hurst Castle Spit	1.5m	Nicholls and Webber (1987)
1968-1982	Hurst Castle Spit	3.5m	Nicholls and Webber (1987)
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West of Chewton Bunny the beach was seriously depleted from 1960 onwards according to Barton (1973) , referring to Wise (1963). Erosion of the undercliff toe commenced until stopped by the construction of the revetment in 1967-1969.

East of Chewton Bunny, that is to say, on the main stretch of cliffs fronting Barton-on-Sea, there had been only limited and localised build up of beach material by the 1970s (Barton, 1973). The result was major erosion here, with the cliff top recession reaching its maximum of 93.6 m in 97 years at Barton Cliff, West (i.e. west of Barton Court). Here with a recession rate of 0.96m, almost a metre a year, a serious problem existed. There was little beach material, wet collapsing, clay cliffs and a piece of coast unprotected by Hengistbury Head from southwesterly storm waves.

Degradation to the Ultimate Angle of Stability

Generally the retreat of the cliff toe and cliff top in the Barton area have been more or less parallel (Barton, 1973, fig. 3). Stopping the erosion at the toe would not, however, prevent the cliffs from degrading with the cliff top still retreating. Water supplied through the Becton Sand (Barton Sands) and Plateau Gravel facilitate cliff collapse. If marine erosion ceases and nothing further is done the cliffs will slowly degrade to a stable slope with an ultimate angle of stability. This angle is likely to be low. It is attained in an exponential relation involving considerable movement over the first decade with final stability being reached only after several thousand years (Barton, 1998). Collapse of much of the greensward above and accumulation of colluvium on the former cliff area would eventually produce this gentle seaward slope. Sea defence works at Barton, in addition to protection of the toe, also involve drainage schemes and sheet piling on the undercliff, to try to stabilise the cliffs. A relatively stable situation has been achieved at Highcliffe where there is little bedrock exposed and the former cliff is mostly covered by colluvium (Barton, 1998).

Sea Defences - Downdrift Problems

Large scale protection of the whole bay has been considered, in a suggested plan of 1966, put forward again by the originator, Edward E. Linaker, in 1981 ). The above extracts are from his 1981 publication comes the above extract. His proposal was to reclaim the whole bay and construct huge marinas, car parks and fish farms offshore. Roads would be built on the breakwaters, with an approach roads coming in through Hengistbury Head and Hurst Castle Spit.

Linader seems to have wanted to develop two great sea-walls and peninsulas, swinging out from each end of the bay. These would provide huge car parks and adjacent marinas.

Obviously, in some respects, ahead of his time, Linaker (1981) seems to have been the first to propose a type of offshore wind farm, off the Dorset - Hampshire coast, although he planned to use it for pumping freshwater rather than producing electricity. He said:

Acknowledgements

I am particularly grateful to the staff and students who have accompanied me on the Barton and Highcliffe coast sections and entered into discussion about the strata and coast. I thank Professor Max Barton, Professor Robert Nicholls, Professor Ken Collins, Sarah Snowdon and Sue Collins, amongst others. The Barton specialist Paul Clasby has been very helpful and Caroline Clasby has joined me on field work on this coast. My grandson, Daniel Bentley, has enthusiastically assisted. Southampton University Computing Services have generously provided webspace for running this site, and this is much appreciated. I thank Vince for accompanying me on field work at Becton Bunny in 2017. I am particularly grateful to the Director and staff of the The Channel Coastal Observatory for permission to use their excellent, vertical, aerial photographs. I am obliged to Steve of the local paragliding club for providing me with some fine oblique photographs taken from the air. I thank Mr and Mrs Page of Barton-on-Sea for kindly providing me with photographs of the early stages of development of the upper cliff, landslide of Hoskins Gap West in May 2008. I thank Alan Morton, the palaeontologist with a remarkable webpage on Eocene fossils, for 1960s photographs of Barton-on-Sea, collapsing cliffs. I appreciate the help of others, unnamed here who have assisted me from time to time over more than half a century.

MORE RE: BARTON AND HIGHCLIFFE!
See also associated webpages:
Barton-on-Sea and Highcliffe - Geological Field Guide

History of Coast Erosion and Sea Defences at Barton-on-Sea and Highcliffe