In my studies I will try and determine how and why management strategies have been put in place at Brancaster in order to stabilise this stretch of coastline.

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Purpose of Investigation

        In my studies I will try and determine how and why management strategies have been put in place at Brancaster in order to stabilise this stretch of coastline. By looking at four main objectives I will attempt to produce a holistic view of the processes taking place within the area, my lines of enquiry will include;

• Why Brancaster needs managing?

• What has been done in terms of management so far?

• How effective these strategies have been?

• What solutions or strategies might be seen within the future?

          Brancaster lies on the eastern coast of Britain within the county of Norfolk. Located approximately 7 miles East of Hunstanton, a major tourist town, on the A149, it demonstrates an excellent example of an area of outstanding natural beauty. The coastline itself along the periphery to the North of Brancaster town stretches for 4 ½ miles and the area covers over 2000 acres of beach. The maps below identify the location of Brancaster…  

 

As North Norfolk currently is experiencing eustatic rises in sea level and local isostatic subsidence, localised flooding is becoming a great cause for concern.  Together with being situated in an area directly within the path of North Sea Storm fetches and facing a northerly direction, the need for coastal defences and management of Brancaster’s vulnerable coastline is becoming vital. Within this site the sea level is rising at a rate of 2mm per annum, demonstrating how precarious the situation is.

Erosion and accretion are processes that are continually taking place along this stretch of coastline and although Brancaster is protected somewhat by the deposition and growth of a natural sand dune, these processes can cause many problems. Due to lying in the direct path of the barrier beach known as Scolt Head Island, Brancaster receives a ready supply of beach material through Longshore drift, which is one of the major factors required in order for sand dunes to form. Along with a reasonably flat surface on which the dune can develop, observed in my site of study, as a wide, flat, open beach, a stabilising agent is also required to control the form of the dune. This is again observed in Brancaster, this time in the form of vegetation, such as marram grass. Due to the site of Brancaster, situated within the shadow of Scolt Head Island, all the agents required in order for sand dunes to develop are present and therefore the natural barrier created as a result blesses Brancaster in many ways. However, this can be seen as a major problem as stability of the dunes is precarious. Although the dunes provide a barrier, during high tides they are in fact within the path of storm surges, which can and have destroyed major parts of the dunes, due to high wave energy created by the flat, wide beach.  

This had led to the shared belief that in order to introduce some stability to the shoreline; a management strategy is almost certainly required. Within the past attempts at installing hard defences within the area have been undertaken, although the problem is still not resolved. Future developments have been put forward and presently the processes in order for them to be initiated can be observed. Within my four lines of enquiry I will analyse what defences have and are being developed within Brancaster and also estimate the effectiveness of the strategies assigned. Founded in 1882, the Royal West Norfolk Golf Club, plays an enormous part within the management strategies undertaken in Brancaster. Projecting out as a small headland formation, the Golf club has it’s highly ranked, 22nd in the country, courses located on the surface of the dunes. Conflicts are and have arisen due to both the Golf Clubs, naturalistic and localised views, when determining how the area should be defended. In my studies I will also have to look at how, briefly, these constraints, among with many others determine what coastal schemes will be used within Brancaster or any other area. Through processing all the information I have researched and undertaking my own primary research, I hope to analyse and draw conclusions from my findings to understand what is taking place within Brancaster.

Methodology

Primary Data Collection

        The map below shows the location where I collected my primary data…                        

     

Methodology

Secondary data collection

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Methodology

Secondary data collection

The factors influencing coasts

Analysis and Explanation

        After researching and collecting my primary data, portraying what defences are observed within Brancaster, I will now go on and analyse the processes ...

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