THE SEA'S ENCROACHMENT ON THE EAST COAST * 



R. G. ALLANSON-WINN. M.I.C.E. 

 Dublin. 



For some time past I have had under close observation lines of 

 coast where the geolog^ical and other conditions are such that 

 erosion is marked and readily observed not only on the cliffs and 

 visible shore between high and low water marks, but in depths 

 below low water level and for considerable distances out to sea. 



This class of erosion is 

 extremely difficult to deal 

 w^ith because the material 

 shifted by storm or current 

 action lies beyond the reach 

 of our protective devices, 

 and its removal from situa- 

 tions below low water level 

 infallibly leads to the loss 

 of material above low water 

 level, and therefore to the 

 advance of the sea upon the 

 land. 



The evidence collected 

 pointed so strongly to the 

 existence of this ' deep sea 

 erosion 't that a letter was 

 sent to ' Engineering- ' of 

 24th July 1903, from which 

 the following extracts are 

 made : — 



'On the Holder n ess 

 coast of Yorkshire may be 

 to-day pointed out situa- 

 tions, in the neighbourhood 

 of the present five-fathom 

 line, where formerly towns 

 and villag'es stood on the dry 



Read at the Spurn Meeting- 

 of the Yorkshire Naturahsts' 

 Union, July 1904. 



t So-called to distinguish it 

 from the visible erosion taking- 

 place above low water level. 

 1904 October i. u 



