West Cornwall - Impressive example of weather affecting beach sand levels

[Graham Easterling]

With beaches on the tip of Cornwall so exposed to the Atlantic, sand levels can vary enormously. Currently many beaches have exceptionally high sand levels, the recent zonal conditions and long period swells have helped move sand back to the 'normal' places. Even so, I've never seen so much sand on some beaches.

Praa Sands with a low sand level

The stream comes down just before the person in red. It's a 10-12' drop from the wall onto boulders. Note the wide field of boulders in fron of the sandstone cliff in the background.

Today looking back towards the railings where I took the previous photo. The boulders are now covered by around 12' of sand, the stream has cut into it.

It's the same the whole length of the beach (almost 1 mile)

The sand has covered the boulders right up to the sandstone cliff (not today, but the level is the same)

If it was the reverse, then the 'erosion' of the beach would be blamed on global warming (as was the case last time it was low). It's such a shame the reality of global warming, and the seriousness and unpredictability of the issue, have been hijacked so often as an excuse for poor maintenance and everything the authorities haven't been prepared for. 

There used to be an easy path, with just a few wooden steps down to Praa Sands beach. Every so often the few steps (a dozen or so) would need maintenance, or moving due to erosion. So the Council had a grand scheme, and spent a small fortune on concrete, gabions etc. on steps that would last many years.

After a few months

Increased storminess due to global warming was to blame, not gross stupidity. There was no money left, so the solution was to close them and leave wire, boulders & concrete strewn around the beach. In fact the sea swirling around the gabions was responsible for most of the erosion, they'd created the situation.

Anyway, next time you see somebody like the EA moving a few bucketloads of sand on a beach, as a photo opprtunity,  to prove they are doing something, consider how much sand moves around on this one mile long beach.

Graham

Penzance