Some would have you believe that Happisburgh is dying, that the sea has won. The bricks and mortar are finished and that all that lies between a village, it's lighthouse and oblivion is a soft cliff and stormy sea.
This is not the impression I have. Those that remain have a much more pragmatic approach to what continues in just one part of one street at the end of the village. Yes, there are large chunks of the cliff falling away, but there are even larger chunks holding up houses just like yours is, and the residents live with the simple fact that they are simply not likely to fall into the sea any time soon. And surely not within their lifetime. Despite what the council may tell people. So what's the rush to leave? More photographs have been added, which can be viewed, of course, by clicking on tags above. In the process of posting the pictures it was evident that I have a fair few pictures of groynes, so they have their own slideshow.
The pictures are from various east and north Norfolk sites including Wells-next-the-sea, West Runton, Bacton, Walcott, Happisburgh etc. Groynes are common in Norfolk due to the inherent vulnerability of certain coastal areas (both in the physical and political sense). An area for plenty more exploration. One of my favourite pictures. A juvenile Herring Gull amongst the spray at Walcott in Norfolk.
The signpost to Walcott from the main Norwich road had a sticker on it that prefaced the village name with the words "POOR THEO" which can only have alluded to the Arsenal sprinter, who is manifestly not poor. It has recently been returned to it's original state. The groynes are a regular feature of this section of the Norfolk coast and a subject I'll return to again. |