Thursday 16th January 2025 - I Forgot and Cliff Slumps

I forgot to mention, in my last blog, that our family postponed their visit last weekend.  Our son was suffering from another virus but hopes they will be able to come this weekend.  No bad thing postponing, as it was very cold last weekend. The current forecast is reasonable, for January, but it does looks as though we won’t be seeing any sun this weekend.  (Apologies for using ‘weekend’ four times but there really isn’t any other suitable word I could have substituted.)

On Monday, a village resident alerted us to a fresh cliff fall.  We walked down the zigzag path on Tuesday morning, when I took the photos below.  As you can see, the slump completely blocks the access to the back beach, below the cliffs.  The material looks to be very wet and gloopy, nothing you would want to try to cross.  In view of this, it’s extremely important, if you want to walk either towards or from Cromer, to check the tide times.  Get it wrong and you could get cut off!  I posted my photos on Facebook, along with the warning about the tides.  Shared by many, including our District and Parish Councillor, Angie Fitch-Tillett, and the Cromer Coastguard, news of the slip reached NNDC.  According to North Norfolk News, the District Council’s engineers have visited the slump and the only action they have taken is to advise walkers to ‘steer clear’ of this area both above and below the cliffs.  No mention of whether they plan to clear the material or fence it off.  They have put up some notices on the cliff top advising of the slip but there aren’t any where they should be at the east end of the promenade, which makes me wonder, if there are any in Cromer.

There has been similar inactivity regarding the slump below the Sea Marge.  This has now progressed, so far over the promenade, see my photo under my blog for 8th January, there is only about one metre/three feet of exposed concrete which is covered by a slippery layer of clay like material.  There have been at least three accidents in this area, where villagers have fallen.  Slip now and you could end up sliding under the railings and falling down on the concrete apron.  Looking up the cliff you can see tons of material waiting to come down, including a tree.   There is contractor’s plant machinery in the compound, at the east end of the promenade, capable of clearing this debris.  Instead, for the most part, the equipment just sits there doing nothing, although before Christmas it was in action to remove sections of the groynes below the promenade.  It looks as though no representatives from either Parish or District Councils, have looked at our cliffs to assess the situation.  Please correct me if they have made an assessment and a plan is in place for the removal of these slumps. 

The slumps need to be removed not only because of the dangers the slips present, but both the back beach and promenade form part of the Norfolk Coast Path.  Until such time as they are cleared then diversions ought to be put in place, otherwise walkers are at risk.  I think I had better stop now – this blog is fast moving towards becoming a rant! `