Hemsby: Dramatic pictures over 30 years show Britain's eroding coastline
Aerial photographs show how drastically the coastline has been worn down, as homes in Hemsby, Norfolk are demolished before they can collapse.
The growing threat of UK coastal erosion has been brought into the spotlight as a number of homes in Hemsby, Norfolk are demolished before they can tumble into the sea below.
At least five terrified residents from the Norfolk village were evacuated from their seaside homes late last week as Storm Larisa brought 50mph winds and a high tide of 3.7m.
Some homes were left just one metre away from the cliff edge, with demolition crews ordered to take them down as a precautionary measure.
Residents were in tears as they stood by and watched their houses being bulldozed and crashing down onto the beach below.
Aerial footage shot over 30 years shows how decades of erosion have taken their toll on the coastline, as demonstrated by this interactive slider showing the same stretch of Hemsby's coast in 1993 and 2023.
Use the 'slider' function on the white vertical line below to see the comparison pictures
The "before and after" images show just how much steeper the clifftop has become and how little beach is left.
Another set of pictures of Hemsby from 1995 and 2018 show how much the landscape has changed and how much closer to the sea the houses are now.
One home on The Marrams was demolished on Friday while two more were torn down on Sunday. Kevin Jordan, 69, one of the five people to be evacuated, said he "lives in fear" that his home will be next.
"No one would want to buy my property now. I don't have the savings to walk away and buy another place," he said.
"If my house is condemned I would be homeless - I've never been in this situation before."
Jordan and his elderly neighbour Margaret have been told their water may be soon cut off as their mains pipe is now hanging exposed over the cliff.
His £85,000 two-bed detached bungalow also now has no vehicle access after the only road to his property, The Marrams, was undermined by this weekend's storm surge.
Jordan, who is disabled and can't walk far, must now walk across a quarter mile of sand dune on foot using a stick to reach the village.
"Twelve years ago, when I moved in I was told by experts that I had at least 100 years here before erosion would be a problem- they didn't take climate change into consideration," he added.
Ian Brennan, 63, has been campaigning for 10 years to ensure the future of those living on The Marrams, claiming the town is "suffering".
The chairman of the Save Hemsby Coastline group said: "Three families lost their homes this week - try and imagine the mental health impact on those who are next in line.
"Seeing what has happened and knowing if nothing is done it is going to happen to you must be a terrifying prospect."
Brennan has been waiting for a planning application to be approved for over a year which would see a rock berm placed on the beach in an attempt to slow the erosion.
He added: "The authorities know what needs to be done and it’s only political will and the inaction of the landowners and the absence of funding that makes their loss pretty inevitable."
Coastal erosion: Find out more on Yahoo UK
Coastal erosion: The villages at risk of falling into sea as beach loses '10ft of land in two days' (Yahoo News, 4 mins)
Gone but not forgotten: My visit to the fastest eroding coast in Europe (Telegraph, 11 mins)
Clifftop homes demolished as Norfolk coastal erosion worsens (Independent, 1 min)
Aerial photos taken a decade apart show impact of Hemsby coastal erosion (Eastern Daily Press, 2 mins)
Pictured: Houses teeter on cliff edge as residents evacuated (Telegraph, 3 mins)
Coastal road in Somerset to stay closed ‘indefinitely’ before it ‘disappears’ into sea (Independent, 2 mins)
