Distruction at Withow Gap

This morning should have been a lovely one, the sun was shining, clear blue skies that in this part of the world seem to go on for ever until disappearing into the distant horizon. Dogs frolicking about, chasing rabbits and searching out for anything dead that might just prove to be one more delicious Scooby snack.
This week the tides are out during the morning, right out past the old rusting supports from some pre-war jetty, miles of pristine sand, interrupted only by the concrete tank traps and pill boxes left insitu since WWII. The tank traps, slowly being eroded by the action of the North Sea, are gradually being colonised by barnacles, mussels and seaweed, sometimes totally exposed by the action of the sea, other times covered by sand. These important 20th Century bits of modern archaeology have proved a really useful asset to protect the SSSI, which is Withow Gap, from rapid coastal erosion it has also provided a good anchorage point to prevent the currents removing sand from this stretch of beach, perhaps though for several generations of children, these concrete outposts have been an impromptu table or chair for that high summer picnic.


It was therefore with some sense of outrage, and thank the gods l had my camera with me, that today the large concrete lumps have been wrenched from their resting place of 60 years, torn from the beach and dragged off a mile up the beach to Ulrome where someone, [who l have no idea], although someone mentioned 'environment agency ' & another a' caravan park owner' was taking these 'unwanted' and 'free rocks' to reinforce their cliff base to prevent or slow down erosion further up the bay. I believe that this may well be an illegal operation and most certainly is plain wanton vandalism!