Here you will find digital images of man made sea defences .These were taken on the north Norfolk coastline between Sheringham and West Runton. To locate this area on a map click here. Man has been attempting to slow down the rapid rate of erosion in this area for over one hundred years. Sea defence systems are very expensive. Therefore, the defences are restricted to particular areas such as the towns and villages on the coasts.The sea defences must be continually maintained if they are to be effective. The sea defences are in turn eroded by the sea.Click on the thumbnail images for larger image files that will appear in a new window.

Coastal Management of sea defence.
Concrete sea walls reduce wave energy but are expensive to build and maintain.
Rock armour (rip-rap) is when large hard rock boulders are placed in front of sea walls and sometimes used as groynes. Expensive and ugly.
Groynes are walls built at right angles to the coast. They are traditionally made of wooden railway sleepers but they can be made of rock armour. They stop beach migration.
Gabions are wire netted blocks of medium sized pieces of hard rock. Expensive and can be ugly.
Revetments are slatted and angled low wooden walls parallel to the beach. They act to absorb wave energy and protect soft cliffs. Ugly and liable to rapid damage.