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One of the UK’s ‘most beautiful’ beaches is disappearing

The cliffs along one bay in Suffolk are retreating by 4.5 metres a year

Amy Houghton
Written by
Amy Houghton
Contributing writer
Coastal erosion at Covehithe beach in Suffolk, England
Photograph: Shutterstock
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The sound of lapping waves, the fresh salty air, the gorgeous marine wildlife – living in house on the coast sounds like a really lovely idea. Well, until said house gets swept away by rising sea levels . 

It’s well known at this point that the UK’s shoreline is gradually eroding. Areas like Norfolk, Lincolnshire and western Wales are all particularly at risk of damage by rising sea levels, but there’s one place where the land is being washed away at a much faster rate than anywhere else. 

Right now the cliffs by Covehithe Beach in Suffolk are tumbling away at a rapid speed of 4.5m per year, according to the area’s Shoreline Management Plan. That’s the highest rate of erosion in the country.

Covehithe was recently named one of the UK’s best secret beaches by the Sunday Times and has long suffered from erosion. Between the 1830s and 2001, over 500 metres of cliffs have been lost to the sea and some say that nearby you can hear the bells of a church lost to the sea at low tide. 

According to the Environmental Agency, the settlement at Covehithe (around 250m from the shoreline right now) will be taken by the sea by 2110 and could even disappear as early as 2040. Bleak times.

Time Out on the climate crisis 

We hate to be all doom and gloom, but if we want to keep enjoying the UK’s cities and countryside in all its glory, climate change is a tricky thing to ignore. London could have to become a ‘sponge city’ to curb major flooding, these places are the most at risk of damage and these AI images show what the UK could look like in 80 years time

On a more positive note, here's how lost rivers across the world are being revived and here's how ecologists are rewilding London

RECOMMENDED: This is the UK’s best beach, according to the Telegraph

Did you see that 7 British streets have been named the most beautiful in the world?

Plus: the UK’s best big city break destination has been crowned for 2024.

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