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TV5297 A feature of the chalk cliffs in the neighbourhood of Cliff End Haven Brow and Short Brow, but also extending along the iconic Seven Sister’s coast, are buttresses. The buttresses, shown in the accompanying photos, give protection and support to the base of the cliffs in the face of attack by the erosive forces of the sea. Other forces working on the cliffs include the effects of water percolating through the porous chalk and gravity resulting in mass wasting. For people pictured in the two, attached photos, all the aforementioned processes combine to make walking on the top of the cliff edges and walking along the beach below a potentially hazardous place with life threatening consequences. As there are no indicators of an imminent, cliff collapse that would give adequate warning to leave the area, massive cliff collapses have the potential to result in fatalities.
A discussion point relating to walking in TV5297 concerns how safety measures could be improved for walkers near the clifftop edges and on the foreshore. For many people, these are exhilarating places in which to enjoy the spectacular seaside but it is also desirable that safety is paramount.
Andrew Diack, B.A.
TV5297 : Chalk buttresses helping to support the cliffs at Haven BrowTV5297 : Dangers of walking on the cliff top and the beach below