Herne Bay is situated along the stretch of the North Kent coast in Southeast. I choose to study this site because there are many different measures taken for coastal protection.

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Introduction

Herne Bay is situated along the stretch of the North Kent coast in Southeast. I choose to study this site because there are many different measures taken for coastal protection.  I can get a broader range of results ending in a more accurate conclusion of the situation. The specific topic I have chosen to study is how and why do cliff and beach profiles vary along the stretch of the north Kent coast. I believe that the most well protected areas of the coast that I will study are likely to have the largest pebbles, the longest and the most level beaches. In the areas with little or no protection pebbles will be smaller if not be shingle and perhaps sand in some areas. The cliffs are also likely to be cut away from the bottom leaving them unstable and in some conditions causing slumping.

It was decided after the storm of 1953, which caused disastrous flooding and wide spread destruction that Herne bay needed new improved sea defences. After some research into the matter by the local district council it was discovered that a storm of the same magnitude would return in an estimated period of a hundred years. When strong winds gather in the northern sea a factor known as the North Sea surge occurs at which time the sea level can raise up to two metres above the level of the normal waters which is what caused the catastrophic flooding in the storm of 1953.

Previous attempts of sea defences in the 1920's and 1960's did little to protect central Herne Bay from the flooding in the storm in 1953, proving they were vastly inadequate and the sea was a considerable threat to the town. Despite the sea defences being some 600 metres long, the low quality concrete block wall was of little use against a destructive sea.

Another storm in 1978 further prompted that something had to be done after it too caused flooding and included such damages as the destruction of the pier, which was the fourth largest in the world before the violent north sea destroyed it.

The main defence against the destructive north sea is the shingle beaches along the coastline, however, local councils have struggled to provide the funds to keep replenishing the shingle beaches as the long shore drift collects the shingle and deposits it elsewhere. Even with regular intervals of groynes to try and preserve the beaches the long shore drift of the sea still breaks down the ever eroding beaches. Those beaches that are sustained are still not the most effective form of sea defence. They are too flat and because of it they absorb very little of the sea's destructive energy, so the sea wall is submitted to the vast majority of it destructive forces.

I am going to study the main methods, which are incorporated to reduce the coastal erosion along the defended stretch of the coast.

They are: rip-rap granite supplied from Scandinavia and Scotland.

A 5 metre high reinforced concrete sea wall.

Large sand beach, which is protected from erosion (by long shore drift) with a large rock groyne.   Upgraded old existing sea defences and of course the "Neptune" sea arm. All these defences came to a sum total of 3.5 million.

Although the sea arm is effective in dissipating the sea's destructive energy it has been built the wrong way.  Long shore drift collects and transports sewage and sediment fed out into the North Sea by the London sewage systems. So inside the sea arm there is a collection of sediment and sewage causing a foul unsanitary odour.

Before construction began of the modern existing sea defences, a public survey and show was put forward to the residents of Herne bay. This was to decide what they wanted from the sea defences. It was generally agreed that the sea front was in dire need of renovation so the defences were to be incorporated into the sea defences. This lead to along, 6 metre wide promenades along the sea wall, a large sand beach suitable for tourism with up to 30,000 tourist visits every year and of course the Neptune Sea arm ideal for walking along.

Recently, I have studied the North Kent Coast looking for signs of erosion and long shore drift. I also began to analyse the sea defences during a class field trip to Herne Bay by following the coast to Reculver. Therefore, when I was asked to choose a new coursework title, I felt that as I had already gained a substantial knowledge of coasts, I could now use this to my advantage. A secondary and very important consideration was the fact that I live close to Bishopstone a location along the studied coastline. Over a fifty-year period, Canterbury City Council has approved a coastal Management Project along the North Kent Coast in particular, the Herne Bay area. The policy is used as renewal or refurbishment of its coastal defences. My objective is to find out how and why do cliff and beach profiles vary along the stretch of the north Kent coast, but I will also be looking at why coastal protection has been built between Herne Bay and Bishopstone.

This is a location map showing the stretch of coast I am analysing:

I have drawn this map to identify the area I am studying. It has been based a map I found on the Internet.    I drew it to show all the different areas, which were not on the map.

Fig 1.0

I will be comparing the type of coastline at all the locations including protected and unprotected sites.  I hope to show the difference and relationship that satisfactory coastal defence systems have and their impact on the beach and cliff profiles and what it does to the size of the pebbles. I plan to find out what coastal protection is, by walking along the designated coast, surveying and observing. I intend to produce notes and evidence, which describes in detail the coastal protection measures present and their purpose. This may also include annotated photographs and possibly a field sketch. I will be mainly investigating the impact on the beach and cliff profiles but also the pebble sizes at each location. I will bare in mind the specifics of why coastal protection has been placed in a particular area. I hope to find relationships in the data i.e. high amount of protection where expensive buildings (real estate) are found. Where there are badly eroded cliffs or beaches, I shall expect to see coastal and cliff protection present.

A location map of Southeast England

to show where we collected our Results

Fig 1.1

Action Plan showing the order of written objectives

This shows the stages of my written plan to complete the coursework:

Research - Using school resource books and I.C.T to research my chosen topic.

Collection of data required, this includes all coastal protection measures, data for beach profiles and analysis of cliff i.e. the cliff angle and height.

Begin write up, Introduction, Aims and Objectives.

Hypothesis of predicted results, showing which factors are of greatest importance.

Data Recording and tables explaining why each method of data collection was used.

Analysis of results - interpreting the data to form trends and patterns,

using visual data organization i.e. graphs and tables

Conclusion and Evaluation - containing evaluative comments of the whole study

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The task that I am studying; " How and why do cliff and beach profiles vary along the stretch of the north Kent coast?" There is very little relevant literature associated with this topic and it is difficult to find concise resources. I hope the information that I include in my coursework, will contribute towards answering the question in a positive and understandable way.

Why the stretch of coast I am studying is worthy of an investigation. The Nature Conservancy Council designated the unprotected cliffs, between Bishopstone and Reculver, as a site of Special Interest in 1951. Although ...

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