918 BEPOBT— 1888. 



1857, by Colonel Montagu, which I herewith return, together with Major Nugent 's 

 plan of October 29, 1866, will be, I think, sufficiently illustrative of my meaning. 



I am, Sir, 



Your obedient Servant, 



(Signed) J. B. REDMAN. 



3. EASTBOURNE CIRCULAR REDOUBT SEA-DEFENCES. 

 To Lieut.- Colonel Orven, R.E. 



5 New Palace Yard, Westminster, S.AY., December 2i, 1857. 



Sir, — On the 2oth ultimo I was favoured at the War Office with your instructions 

 to report after inspection, for the information of the Secretary of State for War, what, 

 in my opinion, would be the best course to pursue in repairing the damage done to 

 the breakwater at the Circular Redoubt by the gale of October 7 last, and for the 

 future maintenance of this work. 



For this purpose I went down to Eastbourne the evening of the 1st instant, and 

 had the opportunity of inspecting these works during the low spring tides of the 

 2nd and 3rd and the morning of the 4th inst., as well as seeing the effect of the sea 

 upon them, as there was a fresh breeze from the southward and westward, with a 

 heavy sea at high water during the whole time of my visit. 



Captain Baillie, who met me on the work on my first inspection and on other 

 occasions, aiforded me every information I could desire. 



The length of coast under consideration consequent on the projection of Beachy 

 Head bears N.E. and S.W., but I have thought it more convenient to speak generally 

 of the points under consideration as being east or west of each other in reference to 

 the general direction of the south coast unless otherwise specified. 



It is hardly necessary for me to dwell at any length on the various evidences 

 there are to show that the sea has continued to encroach for some years past from 

 Beachy Head westward to Langley Point eastward, or how it has resulted from this 

 that the defences at the Circular Redoubt form themselves into a projecting point as 

 the shore has receded east and west of it ; very similar in effect to Sandown Castle, 

 on which I had recently the honour of reporting to your Department, all this being 

 clearly shown in Captain Baillie's surveys, with copies of which 1 was furnished and 

 had with me to aid me in this inquiry. 



To the westward, along the frontage of the ' Sea-Houses ' at Eastbourne, it has 

 been for some years a contest with the elements, the source of constant outlay, and, 

 from the state in which the foundations of the sea wall are now in, exposed as they 

 have been at low water by the withdrawal of shingle produced by the late easterly 

 gales, this outlaj' is likely to be very much on the increase, without a re-accumula- 

 tion of shingle quickly takes place. 



In the bay, between the esplanade and the Circular Redoubt, the recession of the 

 shingle is evidenced by the proposed abandonment of the present coastguard 

 station. Immediately west of the Redoubt tliere is a tolerable 'full' of beach, 

 which, however, has travelled landward, as evidenced by the hardness of the lower 

 slope and thinness of the shingle and amount of sand, and also by the abrasion of 

 the old glacis slope, some of the turf from the serrated edges of which I found lying 

 on the beach below during mj' first inspections. Nor has the west timber revetment 

 been extended far enough to the westward effectually to guard against this. 



On the east side, the recession has been checked by a concrete revetment wall, 

 which appears to have answered the purpose, having been erected half a dozen years 

 back, and the shingle is still seaward of it. 



The effect of this land recession is — the continuity of the shingle mole is 

 destroyed, the artificial works for the defence of the Redoubt cutting through it, and 

 there is consequently deeper water immediately in front of them east and west, ren- 

 dering the collection of shingle in front by groynes more and more difficult, as well 

 as the maintenance of any artificial works, from the increased depth of water. 



It appears, from plans belonging to your Department at Eastbourne, that in 1805 

 the sea at high water was 120 feet seaward of the inside line of the coimterscarp- 

 wall, or 250 feet from the centre of the redoubt. In 1808 these dimensions were 

 relatively 90 feet and 223 feet, showing a wasting of the shore of from 27 to 30 feet 

 in three years, equal to from 9 to 10 feet per annum. Referring this comparison to 

 Captain Baillie's survey on the east side of the redoubt the difference would be 

 238 feet in 49 years, equal to one-half the former degradation, viz., 4^ feet per 



