Hurst Spit and Milford
Very unfortunately for the owners or for the renters, many beach huts were either damaged or destroyed at Milford on Sea. Surprisingly the concrete ones proved to vulnerable, in addition to timber huts. The concrete huts have been places at a relatively low level and there significant quantity of protepatagonia outlet store denver0ctive beach in front of them, except at low tide. Ideally they should have been higher and further back from the sea wall. That would not have stopped all flooding, but it might have avoided the smashing up by waves. I do not know why they are so low, but probably this corresponded to some former level of the former shipatagonia fleece better sweater womenngle beach here.
About 600 beach huts have been damaged or destroyed on the nearby south coast of England during the St. Valentine s Day storm. The stretch of coastline managed by New Forest District Council, which includes Milford on Sea and Barton on Sea, has had 40 huts destroyed and 100 damaged. (from report on BBC News online, 19th February, 2014). Of course, beach huts are normally placed near the sea and often at the foot of cliffs. With the possibility of global warming and more storms they inevitably carry increased risk of destruction. Records might be useful indicators of storm intensities, if statistics are retained.
A minor storm, St. Jude s Storm, struck the bank on the night of the 27th 28th October 2013. This gave the beach a mild test. Wind speed at the Needles reached 95 mph but it was not a true hurricane like the Great Gale with a great storm surge (about 3 metres in Dorset), as on the 22 23rd November 1824. The 1824 event drove Hurst Spit at Milford back 40 metres in a day. There will probably be adequate warning and evacuation when the real hurricane comes, but the the effects will be numerically less than at the low parts of Weymouth and Sandbanks (and possibly Portsmouth). The hurricane of 1703 seems to have been of similar strength but more over the land. Photographs here show the consequences of St. Jude s Storm, although tpatagonia outlet store denver2hey are relatively small with some erosion and some limited washover of the bank.
Further damage occurred after another storm, notable for very large storm waves, took place on the night of the 6th to the 7th January 2014. A photograph taken after this is shown further below.
A severe storm came in from the Atlantic during the night of the 27th to 28th October, 2013. The winds were quite high for a relatively short time in the night, attaining more than 90mph at the Needles, Isle of Wight. It was damaging in the countryside to some extent, bringing down manypatagonia outlet store denver1 trees. However, it was not a true hurricane causing severe destruction. It was associated with heavy rain but passed over the area fairly quickly, with the intense phase only lasting a few hours. It did patagonia better sweater temperaturenot severely damage Hurst Spit as happened in the winter of 1989.
Hurst spit is more or less in usual condition at the present time, but it has suffered some damage and some change in character. The major stabilisation works of 1996 7 produced an artificial spit which imitates to some extent the original. However, there is the presence of a stretch of larvikite rock armour at the western end. This is a strong point that the sea cannot overcome and it effectively fixes the western end as though it was a rocky headland. This has not been threatended since it was constructed. It remains as a stationary area in a beach which has always been mobile and travelled landwards in this region. The far end, at Hurst Castle has for centuries been relatively stable, although in the past it was the natural tip or dumping area for the sediments from Barton on Sea. These are now prevented from travelling here because of the rather questionable, but historic, Barton sea defences.
So there are effectively two fixed areas at each end and a high, but artificial, shingle beach in between. One original plan to use larvikite rock armour for the full length never took place because of the high cost. Instead there is a constructed bank of gravel packed with a sand matrix. This is not natural for surviving the wave energy high on the beach. All sand was originally at or below low tide level. Any wave erosion of the top artificial bank tends to form low cliffs and to remove the sand from fallen debris. Thus, perhaps about 20 to 30% of the artificial bank is composed of sand which removable by the sea. Once the artificial bank has been fully attacked by waves, then it become lower anyway, but in part because the sand will be removed. Thus the bank will progressively become eroded and lower, but of course it might be replaced by a new artificial bank if it decided to spend the money on this.
If natural processes occur to the artificial bank with its two points at each end, then it can be regarded as a bay beach between two headlands.
Thus theoretically the Hurst Spit beach should take the form of concave curve as is normal for a shingle beach between the two rocky promontories. This is the shape of the Chesil Beach (although the Burton Cliff end in the west is a small promontory at the moment). The present seawardly convex shape of the Hurst Spit shingle beach is the result of a historic origin when it once connected through to Barton on Sea and aligned to some extent with the main coast of eastern Christchurch Bay. The far end part nearer the castle has an alignment relatingpatagonia opens headquarters store in australia to ancient profile of the Christchurch Bay beach. The artificial replacement beach was built on almost the original lines, with a particularly well defined bend in the middle. This recent storm, the St Jude s Storm seems to a small extent to have started to smooth out the bend. It is reasonable to expect, but without any certainty, that the beach will move back in the central part which is unprotected by rock armour. Of course, I am not suggesting that it be placed there because it would spoil the long beach.
I do think that the beach will become concave sooner or later by moving backwards in the central part over the channel and towards the marshes. Look at the photographs and notice the increased amount of washover and the narrower beach at the inflection point.
To deal with a separate matter, there is the unexpected development after the St. Jude s Storm of a second parallel beach ridge on the seaward side. This is seen between the larvikite area and the inflection point. The reason for this is not understood, but it may have some relationship to the larvikite barrier. In general terms the (expensive) artificial ridge is being gradually destroyed and replaced by a new natural one.
The great difference in composition of the artificial ridge and the relatively natural beach should be emphasised. The artificial ridge is effectively a gravel with a matrix of sand and a small amount of mud. It is compacted and has a matrix. It is strong enough to use a roadway for vehicles travelling to and from Hurst Castle, and it is much easier to walk on than was the original loose beach.
The natural beach, in contrast, is sorted and mobile and consists only of pebbles. It is loose and not fixed by sand or mud. Thus the natural beach has no small cliffs within it, only slopes. The artificial bank, in contrast, is cliffed on the seaward side. It is being destroyed largely by undercutting. When washover occurred on the natural shingle beach the effect was to form tongue like lobes of gravel sloping towards the marshes. This type of washover is a characteristic of the Chesil Beach. The artificial gravel ridge behaves differently. Because it is like sedimentary strata, it is eroded as is Quarternary strata. Small channels or gulleys are developed and water flows down these and deposits a fan of gravel at the base. This is only seen, so far, on a limited scale as a result of the St. Jude s Storm. See the photographs.
No firm conclusions are given here. Hurst Spit just remains under observation and we will see just what happens with future storms.
[Further note: At the end of Hurst Castle there has been further erosion. As noted elsewhere there has new patagonia women's l 50k trail run shorts in turquoise msrp $55been some loss at the former jetty, which is returning to the sea. The Eastern Earth Batteries (old gun emplacements in brickwork and earth) have been significantly eroded. Bricks from these have been thrown back onto the beach apatagonia outlet store denverdjacent to the end of the Victorian castle. Some erosion of the castle may take place in this area in a while.]
The spit is an excellent place for studying geomorphology and is also very good just for an interesting and breezy walk along the shingle. Apart from features of geomorphological and geological interest there are extensive marshes with interesting wading birds, salt marsh and shingle beach plant live, shipping to watch, a view of the Isle of Wight, and, of course, there is the history. This includes the initiation of the castle by King Henry VIII and the later imprisonment here of King Charles I. Consult the interesting book of (1986) for information on the history. Incidently King Charles used to take his exercise walking along the spit. He was removed from the castle in December 1648 by Corronell Harrison with no less than 1200 or 1400 horse (brought through the New Forest from Lyndhurst). The King was on his way to execution. The castle is well worth visiting and is quite atmospheric, especially in stormy conditions.
To commence a walk on Hurst Spit, you can drive to Milford on Sea; from the Green (centre) go south down Sea Road to the beach car park at SZ 293913. It is about 2 miles or 3 kilometres walk from here. This used to be difficult on loose shpatagonia coats unlimitedingle but because of sea defence work this is now compacted and you walk to the patagonia discount code amazoncastle comfortably in about an hour. You can walk back or return by ferry to Keyhaven (SZ 307914) and walk down the road from there (an easier journey). You could, of course, go to the castle by motor ferry from Keyhaven, should you wish (providing that the ferry is running at the time).
An alternative starting point is at Cut Bridge. This is at the end of the cut carrying water from Sturt Pond and the Danes Stream. It is at the junction of New Lane (turn into this in Milford on Sea village) and Seagrass Lane. You can often park in New Lane, and this is safely above high tide level. You may be able to leave a car at Saltgrass Lane that borders the marsh from Keyhaven to the shingle bank. However, this can flood at patagonia discount code papahigh tide or in stormy conditions.
You then start your walk at 299908 (Cut Bridge). From here it is about one and a half miles or just over 2 km to the castle. The disapatagonia discount code travelodgedvantage is that you will miss Sturt Pond and most of the big blocks of igneous rock armour; however, you can back track to these.
The New Lane, Cut Bridge locality is not a suitable route for a coach or bus. If you are travelling by coach then you need to make arrangements to be dropped at Milford on Sea.
There are toilets at Milford on Sea and at Keyhaven. At the castle end of the spit toilets are only present within the castle and you have to pay to enter this monument. Refreshments can be obtained within the castle, at least in summer. There is a pub at Keyhaven, the Gun Inn, and at the Green in Milford.
The obvious risk at Hurst Castle Spit is from the sea. There can at times be major storm waves with backwash. There are dangerously strong currents just offshore. Take care with regard to sea defences and walls, particularly groynes, metal objects and rock armour. Flint pebbles must not be hammered because of dangerous splinters, which could cause eye damage. There is danger of being trapped in soft mud within the harbour at the back of the spit. There might be hazards associated with attempting to round the outer seaward wall of the castle in certain tide or wave conditions. The interior of the castle is not the real subject of this geological and geomorphological description and has its own procedures and regulations and these should be abided by. Note that the bank of Hurst Spit is very exposed to wind and weather conditions and suitable protective clothing should be worn when necessary. It is generally colder and more windblown than other parts of the Hampshire coast.
Individual geological and other visitors and field leaders should make their own risk assessment at the time of an intended visit and no liability is accepted. In certain weather conditions, particularly severe storms, there may be no safe access to the far part of Hurst Spit. This webpage is descriptive and for information and does not represent advice to go to any specific places mentioned.
Hurst Spit is a barrier beach, the southeastern aggradation feature to which the subangular flint beach shingle of Christchurch Bay has been moved progressively eastward by the longshore drift (compare to the Chesil Beach). This transport from west to east is the result of the prevailing southwesterly winds. The spit represents the destination for subangular flint gravel travelling by long shore drift from the supply cliffs of Highcliffe, Barton on Sea and Hordle Cliff. The light brown, flint gravel is present in most of the cliffs as a 2 or 3 m thick (exceptionally more) unconformable cap of Pleistocene periglacial clastics, overlying Eocene sands and clays. Not only is gravel on the spit, but also pieces of shelly siderite from Barton on Sea and fossils from the Barton Clay, particularly the gastropod Clavilithes. This has long been noticed and was referred to by Fox (1862) . You will not find it easily now because of the renourishment or replenishment of shingle.
Gravel has patagonia outlet store denver3always been lost from the end of the spit and the whole spit has moved landwards by a rollover process. It has survived more or less unbroken for thousands of years, but not in the same place . Washover and temporary breaching has occurred recently because the delayed effects of the sea defence works in Christchurch Bay finally stopped any significant natural transport of shingle to the beach. There was a crisis in 1989 when the shingle beach was flattened and at risk of total destruction.
To deal with this human intervention has taken place and the spit has been largely rebuilt with dredged gravel from the Shingles Bank. It is peroidically replenished with similar flint gravel. The long stretch is now banked up to 7m in height. This artificial banks suffered some damage some minor washover in the St. Jude s storm of 27th 28th October 2013, but has not yet been attacked by a real hurricane. It does not have its orginal natural appearance of Hurst Spit and is more like a railway embankment. It is composed compacted gravel and sand and has a flat top so when necessary vehicles can drive down it. Nevertheless it still exists and to the casual observer may look fairly natural. The far end has been less affected by erosion and has not been rebuilt and renourished. Much of the recurved end of the spit is still in natural condition and its accretionary development can still be studied.
It is interesting in that both construction of the castle and of the sea defences have resulted in the introduction of hard igneous rocks to the area. There is granite from Cornwall in the Castle Walls and bluish grey, coarsely crystalline larvikite from Norway at the sea defences of the western end. There are a number of other interesting rock types present in the Castle walls, including Purbeck Stone and Bembridge Limestone from the Isle of Wipatagonia girls jackets bigght.
Of course coastal erosion problems are a characteristic feature of Christchurch Bay. Is a relatively new bay, famous for coastal retreat, especially at Barton and Highcliffe. Nearer to Hurst Spit, At Milford on Sea, the natural overall retreat of the coast must have caused some concern at Milford on Sea in the 1950s. Unfortunately, at about that time some defences were constructed there (as indicated by old photographs). The sea defences have been strengthened since (see the Hordle Cliff webpage ) and now it is very difficult for shingle to pass eastward of Milford beach.
