430 REPORT—1885. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
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9. 
South-west, and consequently the cliff is protected from that wind; but the 
tide runs and erodes the cliff at its base for some distance. The edge of the 
land is low, and shore strewn with rocks washed out of the soil. The sea 
rises nearly up to the level of sand up to Sea View. 
The above wind causes the highest waves and erodes the shore, which on the 
south of the island is much exposed to the heavy seas of the British Channel, 
There is little or no shingle on this coast, except in patches. 
Is round the south point of the island, along the coast to Chine Head, and along 
the coast past the Culver Cliff and Foreland, and thence into Spithead, and 
thence up and down Portsmouth Harbour, and into and out of the Solent. 
(1) a. 14 feet at Bembridge Point ; b. 10 feet 6 inches. (2) There is no general 
width, as the shore for the most part is rocky or covered with rocks. Ina few 
places there are sand and gravel beaches. 
Bare rock, shingle, sand, and mud. 
a. As previously stated, there is very little shingle, and only in patches. The 
breadth of these varies very much, they being principally scattered stones. 
e. The beach is extremely irregular in its surface. 
10. There appears no accumulation or diminution, owing to the absence of shingle. 
The chief erosion is by stones being washed out, The rock appears in patches, 
12. There are no groynes in this distance, except at Bembridge Quay, where one 
was erected about two years ago. Sand has accumulated on the seaside — 
alongside the landing-place, and is prevented from filling the bed of the dock, 
or place for vessels to lie, 150 feet in length. e. It is built of stone, which 
was dredged out of the river Yar, in the harbour, to deepen the channel. f. It 
stops the sand from getting into the berth of the steamer at the landing-place, 
and is raising the beach with shingle, opposite the Royal Spithead Hotel. 
13. None that I could hear of. d. Reefs have certainly protected—both half and 
full reefs. 
14. c. There were no means of remarking the rate of erosion. d. I did not hear of 
any maps which would show the amount of erosion in this case. 
16. The only increase I know of is the reclamation of Brading Harbour, consisting — 
of 600 acres, by embanking it from the sea and forming quays for shipping. 
The embankment forms a roadway from St. Helens to Bembridge, and was 
constructed to reclaim the land for agricultural occupation. Quays were | 
erected on both sides of the harbour below the seven sluices by which the 
water is discharged from the River Yar at low water. The ships bring coals i 
for the southern and eastern sides of the island, in connection with the Isle of — 
Wight Railway. 
17. There are no dunes, and there is no blown sand on the coast. The only sand- 
1. 
2. Steep broken slopes, almost amounting to cliffs, intersected where streams run ~ 
3. N.N.W. by N. to 8.8.E. by S. 
hills are those on the north of the mouth of the River Yar ; in front of them is 
a sand-beach, with gravel interspersed over it. The sandhills extend from the | 
Yar for about half a mile northwards to the Old Church. The hills vary from 
10 feet to 20 feet in height, and are covered with marram grass. There are 
sand-banks on both sides of the mouth of Brading Harbour and River Yar, 
and there is no shingle ; the sand is not blown, but remains always the same — 
height, and does not seem to extend. i 
9. Bembridge, &c. 
By Lieutenant Norris, R.E., Portsmouth. 
Sea View, Isle of Wight, southwards to Bembridge and St. Helens, Isle of Wight. 
Much information was obtained from the chief boatswain of the Coastguard 
at Sea View. 
into the sea. a. Principally blue Marl—locally known as the ‘blue slipper’ 
—with beds of Limestone several feet in thickness, sloping about 5°. These 
strata are bent to a wavy section between the layers of blue Clay in places. 
Layers of red Sand and white Sand crop out occasionally. b. At Nettlestone 
Point, round Sea View: (1) 20 feet, (2) 7 feet, (3) 4 feet. From Horestone 
to Church Ruins: (1) 105 feet, (2) 50 feet, (3) 5 feet. 
