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Slapton Line (A379) news Violent storms on Thursday 11th and Friday 12th January finally did what they had been threatening to do in previous years; the road separating the famous Slapton Ley and Sands was breached. High tides combined with fierce easterly winds transported a lot of the beach onto the road making it impassable for the entire stretch.
At one stage a live Second World War bomb, containing 28lbs of high explosive and in a primed condition, was unearthed; it was later detonated under a controlled explosion by the bomb disposal unit. As tides and weather conditions receded, work got under way to prevent further damage - too late naturally. The Slapton-Torcross stretch of the road was cleared of debris which included large rocks and a speed boat; the road was later re-opened. The Slapton-Strete stretch however remains closed with large sections of the seaward side of the road undermined. 4,000 tons of large boulders were transported to the beach, at a cost of £250,000, in an effort to limit further damage by seas which had by now passed their worst. This picture shows the gap where the sea has cut under the road.
Picture by Torquil Macleod for the Kingsbridge & Salcombe Gazette The American war memorial has now been dismantled and placed in storage for later relocation. The 20ft granite obelisk had stood there for 47 years, erected by the American government in tribute to the people who gave up their homes for the rehearsals of the D-Day landings. The middle car-park now resembles a pier with a good drop at the seaward end. Work appears to have stopped for the present while a direction forward is 'planned'. The possible solutions range from building a sea defence and repairing the road (estimated at £12- £20 million) to building a road further inland (no estimate) or even allowing nature to take its course, leaving the road to suffer its inevitable end. The best guestimate of the Strete end road opening is Easter but even then some single lane stretches will be subjected to some form of traffic control.
The majority of the inhabitants of Slapton, Torcross and Strete feel a strong need for the restoration of this vital link. Local businesses have been badly hit at a time when revenue from visitors is at its lowest. Strete Post Office in particular has been badly hit by the loss of passing trade and the village is now virtually a dead end. Trade as far as Dartmouth has been affected and the general feeling is that if something is not done soon, it could spell disaster for the next holiday season. On the other side of the argument we have the feeling that nature should be allowed to take its course - it will eventually win after all. An excellent and well thought through letter by Nigel Coles of Slapton, published in the Gazette Jan 26, explains the reasons behind this view Dr NIGEL COLES, of 2 Churchwells, Slapton, writes: "In the light of recent changes to the beach and consequent threat to the integrity of the A379 along Slapton Sands, the time is now right for a reappraisal of our approach to shoreline management". "Any attempts to defend the road using 'hard engineering' should be abandoned in favour of a managed retreat" "The Slapton shingle bar is a dynamic landscape feature that is being shifted landwards and lengthways by the sea. This inherent instability, most obvious after storm events, will be compounded by rising sea levels and increased storminess due to global warming". "Protecting the relatively short section of road recently undermined may appear to be the solution but would almost certainly lead to a further need for defences along other sections, possibly all, of the road between Torcross and Strete Gate. The future would be very expensive and uncertain, as once the authorities have embarked upon a policy of 'holding the line', they will forever be committed". "The impact would be detrimental to both the landscape and nature conservation value of a very special and popular place". "We are presented here with an opportunity to manage the coastline in a more sustainable way. This would undoubtedly require a rethink of current traffic management along many routes between Kingsbridge and Dartmouth. If planned properly, this would allow the opportunity to enhance environmental quality well beyond Slapton Sands". "Managed retreat does not mean to do nothing. It involves re-evaluating an attitude towards coastal protection. In the long term, working with nature, rather than against it, will be the only sustainable option". "This may require a wider vision, beyond the confines of the beach and the damaged stretch of road. It may also save the wasting of taxpayers' money on unsustainable and ill-conceived engineering projects". Dr Coles would like to point out that his own personal view is not necessarily that held by the Herbert Whitley Trust or The Field Study Council. |
