238 report — 1884. 



Report of the Committee, consisting of Messrs. R. B. Grantham, 

 C. E. De Rance, J. B. Redman, W. Topley, W. Whitaker, and 

 J. W. Woodall, with Major-General Sir A. Clarke, Sir J. N. 

 Douglass, Captain Sir F. 0. Evans, Captain J. Parsons, Professor 

 J. Prestwich, Captain W. J. L. Wharton, and Messrs. E. Easton, 

 J. S. Valentine and L. F. Vernon Harcourt, appointed for the 

 purpose of inquiring into the Rate of Erosion of the Sea-coasts 

 of England and Wales, and the Influence of the Artificial Abstrac- 

 tion of Shingle or other Material in that Action. Draivn up by 

 C. E. De Rance and W. Topley, Secretaries. 



The importance of the subject referred to this Committee for investigation 

 is universally admitted, and the urgent need for inq uiry is apparent to 

 all who have any acquaintance with the changes which are in progress 

 around our coasts. The subject is a large one, and can only be success- 

 fully attacked by many observers, working with a common purpose and 

 upon some uniform plan. 



The Committee has been enlarged by the addition of some members 

 who, by official position or special studies, are well able to assist in the 

 work. 



In order fully to appreciate the influence, direct or indirect, of human 

 agency in modifying the coast-line, it is necessary to be well acquainted 

 with the natural conditions which prevail in the places referred to. The 

 main features as regards most of the east and south-east coasts of England 

 are well known ; but even here there are probably local peculiarities not 

 recorded in published works. Of the west coasts much less is known. 

 It has therefore been thought desirable to ask for information upon many 

 elementary points which, at first sight, do not appear necessary for the 

 inquiry with which this Committee is entrusted. 



A shingle- beach is the natural protection of a coast ; the erosion of 

 a sea-cliff which has a bank of shingle in front of it is a very slow pro- 

 cess. But if the shingle be removed the erosion goes on rapidly. This 

 removal may take place in various ways. Changes in the natural distri- 

 bution of the shingle may take place, the reasons for which are not 

 always at present understood ; upon this point we hope to obtain much 

 information. More often, however, the removal is directly due to arti- 

 ficial causes. 



As a rule, the shingle travels along the shore in definite directions. 

 If by any means the shingle is arrested at any one spot, the coast-line 

 beyond that is left more or less bare of shingle. In the majority of cases 

 such arresting of shingle is caused by building out ' groynes,' or by the 

 construction of piers and harbour-mouths which act as large groynes. 

 Ordinary groynes are built for the purpose of stopping the travelling of 

 the shingle at certain places, with the object of preventing the loss of 

 land by coast-erosion at those places. They are often built with a reck- 

 less disregard of the consequences which must necessarily follow to the 

 coast thus robbed of its natural supply of shingle. Sometimes, however, 

 the groynes fail in the purpose for which they are intended — by collecting 

 an insufficient amount of shingle, by collecting it in the wrong places, or 

 from other causes. These, again, are points upon which much valuable 

 information may be obtained. 



