Saving Milford on Sea from the Sea!

Coastal properties in Milford on Sea are at "imminent risk" of damage this winter after the sea wall was smashed by two ferocious storms earlier this year, resulting in the failure of a 270 metre section of the concrete protection, which lies to the west of the Grade 2 listed White House.

The analysis by contractor Jacobs suggested stabilising the wall in the short-term and compensating for the loss of beach material which caused the failure.

Storm 'Ellen' hit on 20th August with high tides and 60 mph winds and sadly finished off the wall with the last beach hut standing succumbing to the sea.  If we get another winter like the last one, goodness knows what the impact would be.

Last beach hut still standing but not for long.  So wild - note the figures on the spit.

Beach hut down.

Sad evidence of the lost beach huts.

"Emergency work" is due to start.

The sea wall had been showing signs of "progressive failure" in November last year before a 95 metre section began to move in January.  Storms 'Ciara' and 'Dennis' exacerbated that, and another 70 metre section in front of the beach huts fell away.

The failure of the seawall was down to loss of material at its base.  Because the beach had lowered, the deeper water allowed larger, more powerful waves to strike.  The wall had no "recovery time" between the storms and once its failure started "a continued and accelerated rate of dilapidation" occurred resulting in part of the wall "catastrophically" collapsing during Storm Dennis.  The wall is believed to have been constructed around 60 years ago.  Beach erosion was mitigated in front of new beach huts to the east by the installation of large rocks, which was not done at the affected site.

It is estimated the Milford cliffs would retreat at an average rate of 1.3 metres per year, leading to a loss of up to 16 metres by 2025, 50 metres by 2055 and 85 metres by 2105 but this is depends on how many large storms attack the cliffs.

Two very telling photos of the fence shutting the footpath on the cliff by the original collapsed Westover sea wall.  First one taken 21st August at around 4 p.m. during the storms and the second at 2.30 p.m. on 22nd August as the storms continue.  Compare the two photos - shows that the cliff has eroded 1 to 2 metres in under 24 hours.  The second photo shows that the cliff has eroded some 4 metres since the fence was erected to the edge of the cliff a few weeks ago!

The coastal footpath was closed in February 2020 for safety reasons.  The South Coast of England is a world heritage heavyweight with countless iconic landmarks - one being The Needles, beautiful sandstone cliffs on the lovely coastline of Alum Bay, Isle of Wight.  They can be enjoyed from this wonderful coastal pathway where you get a marvellous view of The Needles and sweeping ocean views.  So sad to have to leave this path and walk inland.

In a nature emergency, what really matters is action, not just words.  New Forest District Council need to invest now and deal with the whole problem straight away.  Ironic (or crazy!) that NFDC's current plan for defending the wall will leave the original breech (90 metres) and eroding cliff not repaired and unprotected for some 2 to 3 years! This will leave a weak spot which will concentrate the forces on a smaller area causing untold damage. The footpath is unlikely to reopen for a similar period!

This damage has been caused by years of neglect by the council.  As Rachel Shattock wrote:-

For want of a good groyne the shingle beach was lost. For want of a shingle beach the sea wall was lost.  For want of a wall the coast path and seafront was lost.  For want of the frontline Milford-on-Sea will be lost.  And all for the want of a good groyne.  ("For Want of a Nail" is a proverb, having numerous variations over several centuries, reminding that seemingly unimportant acts or omissions can have grave and unforeseen consequences.)

It will be a matter of luck whether Milford on Sea will escape major flood damage this winter if the whole stretch is not repaired.  The wind here is constant and the sea never sleeps.  Erosion goes on all year round, sometimes unnoticed and sometimes dramatically when there is a big storm.  For many weeks of the year, a potent mixture of high spring tides and south-westerly winds can prove fatal.  When the weather is severe enough - as it was recently - to describe the coastline as being at the mercy of the sea is no exaggeration.  The aging sea defences west of the White House have been turned to rubble in minutes.  Metres of sandstone cliff, battered and weakened by the wind, is literally blown out to be scoured away in the boiling surf of an angry sea.

Times move on, and with sea defence, time is not on our side.  Coastal defences should be at the forefront of NFDC's action files to build public confidence for the winter.  The government is promoting a number of schemes at the moment - I urge the NFDC to take advantage of them and rebuild the flood defences completely.

The coastal defence team are ready to start very soon.  Tonnes of rocks arriving from Norway and battle commences, man against the sea!! 

Love the irony of the sign

                                                               Workers accommodation

Is this a Quinquereme of Nineveh from distant Ophir?

(Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir,

Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,

With a cargo of ivory,

And apes and peacocks,

Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.)

Nope, nothing so romantic its the Afon Cefni barge with Larvik rocks on board.

And this is how it's done.  Tuggy McTugface shoves the barge into a dredged bit until it hits the land.  Then the dredger pushes on the barge while the digger picks the rocks off one by one.  All clever stuff.

The reason for the convoy was that the sandbars that form along the frontage had moved since the last bathymetric survey that was undertaken in July.  The tug, using the echosounder, found the sandbar too far offshore and too high to traverse over, even at high tide, to be able to get close with the barge and hold it on the seawall whilst unloading took place.  The tug is powerful enough to get round the currents at Hurst Spit and sail along the frontage.  The Liftmoor is then able to connect to the barge and deliver it and the rock to the seawall.  The excavator that is sited on the barge then picks off the rocks and places them in the general location required for the placement to begin.  The first three loads of rock are small loads to ensure that they can traverse the bar, as well as gauging the tide and current strength on the site.  These first loads have been dropped near the collapsed section that is going to be used to access the front and will be used to create the ramp for the machines.  Once this has been done the contractor will then drop down onto the front to begin work on the timber groynes and to start placing the rock on the revetment profile beginning at the White House revetment.  The barge will be used to deliver the rock during the high tides in daylight hours only.  Now the granite deliveries have begun it is likely that deliveries will be occurring daily.  Let's hope the good weather continues for them.

UPDATE - October, 2020

Another section of the Milford Sea Wall has failed but

some good news from the Milford-on-Sea Parish Council meeting concerning the project.  NFDC have ordered a further 3,000 tonnes of rock in addition to the 8,000 tonnes already ordered and mainly delivered.  Some of the additional rocks will be used to defend Area 1, i.e. 90 metres at the western end of the 270 metres span of frontage needing work.  This was not originally part of the current Phase 1.  These rocks should provide some defence for Area 1, in particular to reduce the risk of further cliff erosion.  This is a further positive sign of the determination of the council to sort the Westover sea wall problem.

To this end, the community needs to demonstrate its support for the New Forest District Council's funding applications to the Environment Agency and various Government bodies.  Please sign our online petition to show that you back the Council's efforts to 'Save Milford from the Sea'.

https://www.change.org/p/environment-agency-save-milford-from-the-sea-by-funding-a-long-term-coastal-defence-plan

Copy and paste the above into your browser.

  1,350 signatures on the petition at the moment on Thursday, 22nd October.  Going up nicely but come on everyone, let's get it to 2,000!

My spies tell me both our tugs are on other duties now.  Tuggy is apparently setting out for Halifax, Canada!!!! and Liftmoor is doing something in Ramsgate.

This means the next shipment of 3000 tons or rock will be delivered by road.  Meanwhile, there's quite a pile of rocks in the sea and on the cliff top waiting to be placed properly.  The large stones have the weight written on them.  At about £70 a tonne you can do the maths (a lot of money).

This is a photograph from the White House end.  They have filled another bay between groynes with rocks.  Just one bay left.  Meanwhile as you see elsewhere, they are concentrating on truck deliveries to the failed wall section.

A lorry reversing at the bottom of Paddy's Gap slope - very impressive driver's skills!

Looks like good progress as Larvik rocks now placed behind and on the outside of the failed wall to add protection where the erosion is worst.

And this is a very famous Milford-on-Sea resident - Archie

Archie is very impressed by the Earlcoate Construction and Plant Hire Ltd. work taking place.  He's put his paw mark on the petition, please add yours too!  We love watching the daily progress video report from Archie on Facebook  in the group We love Milford on Sea.

It's true, the Afon Cefni is off across the Atlantic.  Bon voyage TuggyMcTugface and we'll miss you.

We know it was extra but thank you NFDC and the Coastal Team for this additional protection while we wait - hopefully finished before 2023 - to discuss the next phase with the Parish Council, NFDC and Environment Agency.