Case study: Walton- on- theElla Xin

Location: Walton -on -the -Naze is one of

Britain's traditional seaside towns. It is
South-East of England and it is on the North
Tendring Peninsular on the Essex Coast. It
is bordering the North sea. To be located it
is situated North of London and just to the south of Harwich.

Naze

located in the
point of the

Main hazards affecting Walton -on -the -Naze

Walton- on- the- Naze has a very popular seaside with tourists and a great outdoor resort.
The Problem is this is an area on the coast that is under constant erosion from the sea.
The sea reaches the beach by long shore drift and erodes the cliff by weathering, hydraulic
action and abrasion. The rock types are easily eroded by the sea. The cliff also suffer from
slumping which makes the defense of the area even more complex. Longshore drift moves
sand along the coastline from south to north. The cliff is being eroded back and this means
land and buildings will be lost. The land is of high economic value a it has houses and
shops on it.If nothing was done, the wildlife and tower would soon be gone, and Walton on
the Naze would lose its scientific value.
Why are the cliffs at Walton receding so quickly?
The cliffs at Walton have layers of different materials. The bottom one is London clay and
is impermeable, which means water cannot soak through it. The middle layer is Red Crag
and is made of silt and sand. The top layer is wind-blown sand. The top two layers are
permeable, which means water can soak through them. This makes the cliff less stable so
'slumping' occurs. The edge of the cliff slips away from the top of the cliff. The tide can
then wash the fallen debris away into the sea.
How this area of coastline is being managed.
Refer to
different techniques and explain why they
were chosen.
Walton can be split into two distinct areas. In 1977
a
major project was complete on the southern part
of the
coastline. It consisted of a seawall, breakwaters
and
groynes and the cliff was regard. This was protect
the
properties on the cliff. Groynes were used because longshore drift was occurring along the
coastline from the south to the north. It would help to stop longshore drift and keep the
beach in place.
Evaluate the success/ effectiveness of these techniques.

This method is very effective, because in 1998 the council paid 167,000 pound for 300
tonnes of Leicester granite to be placed around the Tower breakwater and the rip-rap has
slowed down erosion in this area. In 2003 the material had been removed illustrating the
power of longshore drift along this stretch of coastline. So it prove this is very useful to stop
erosion.