Bacton and Walcott
COASTAL CASE STUDY
Description
Bacton is situated upon low coastal cliffs and, situated to the north-east, is Bacton Gas Terminal, which processes and supplies a third of the country’s gas needs. Walcott is located within a low between the cliffs, just to the south-east of Bacton, which is the lowest point. Here, the cliffs are protected by a continuation of the concrete sea wall and groynes and then by revetments, stone gabions and a wooden breakwater. In 2019, the coast was ‘sandscaped’ to further protect the coast here.
Value to the nation:
- Walking: part of the England Coast Path in the east, offering views along the coastline
- Tourist area: quiet coastal village, with sandy beach
- Nature: grey seals can sometimes be spotted offshore
- Utilities: home to Bacton Gas Terminal, supplying a third of the UK’s gas supply
Location
Bacton is around 10 miles south east of the coastal town of Cromer and 11 miles east of the inland market town of North Walsham. The nearest main road is the A149.
Coastal events
The Great North Sea Flood, 1953
On the night of 31 January to 1 February 1953, a major flood event caused by a combination of a high spring tide, low pressure and strong northerly winds led to a storm surge within the North Sea that affected low-lying coastal areas of eastern England, including East Anglia and the Thames estuary. The increased volume of water overwhelmed many sea defences, leading to extensive flooding, damage to property and infrastructure and loss of life. Bacton and Walcott saw homes flooded and destroyed; a 4000-tonne boat was even beached at Walcott. Nearby, Sea Palling saw seven people killed and the village destroyed. A Government review took place after the event and recommended putting flood management policies, warning systems and improvements in coastal defences in place. Coastal defences at Bacton and Walcott don't appear to have been present prior to 1953.
Other floods
In 2007, 20 homes were flooded at Walcott in a storm where waves came over the seawalls.
In December 2013, a storm surge caused people from 13 homes to be moved to emergency accommodation, flooded Walcott and caused the closure of the main road because of the debris washed onto it. One hundred and eighty properties and ten businesses in Bacton and Walcott were flooded during this event.
Geology and the coastline
The geology at Bacton encompasses preglacial and glacial deposits of Pleistocene age. Preglacial deposits, including organic clays, sands and gravels, are typically buried beneath the modern beach. The cliffs are composed of glacial deposits, including layered tills, sands and a capping sand and gravel.
Southwards from Bacton, the cliffs become lower, comprising ancient river sands and gravels. At Walcott, cliffs are absent and the geology comprises wind-blown sand on the landward side of the coast road.
Prior to the initial construction of coastal defences, coastline instability was caused by a combination of direct wave attack in the south and direct wave attack and large rotational landslides in the north. The coastline was largely stabilised by the construction of the sea wall at Walcott in 1954, following the 1953 tidal surge, and additional defences to the north during the building of Bacton Gas Terminal. Localised instability has occurred via minor cliff falls and periodic breaches of the breakwater at Bacton. Several tidal surges and storms have resulted in coastal flooding at Walcott.
BGS © UKRI
GeoCoast data
Coast type
A simple four-fold classification that identifies the spatial situation for each grid cell. Each cell identifies a lithology and its coastal setting.
Foreshore and backshore data, onshore (beyond the backshore but within the forecast inundation zone) and offshore (area below Low-water mark) coverage
Cliff height
Estimated cliff height in metres, determined from digital terrain model (DTM) analysis. Measured from the high-water line to cliff top.
Height in metres from 0 – >100 m
Cliff erosion
The worst-case erosion susceptibility classification of the cliff or backshore deposits. Click on a cell in the map for more information.
Cliff erosion, worst class scenario
The mean erosion susceptibility classification of the cliff or backshore deposits. Click on a cell in the map for more information.
Cliff erosion, mean class scenario
The base lithology (lith1) erosion susceptibility classification of the cliff. This is the first lithology above the high-water line that will be predominantly subjected to wave processes.
Cliff erosion, base lithology (lith1) erosion susceptibility classification of the cliff
Inundation
Maximum sea-level inundation extents as defined by UK Climate Projections , UKCP18 sea level rise climate scenarios for future sea level rise.
Maximum sea-level inundation extents
Subcoast potential subsidence rate (PSR)
The potential subsidence for an area considering the combined effects of the geological factors at that location. Provided as % and mm/yr.
PSR in mm/year
Area statistics
A range of regional statistics have been generated from the baseline datasets to provide an authority-level overview of coastal properties, cliff erosion and flood susceptibility. These are all provided under the Open Government Licence .
- Coastline cliff erosion: the erosion susceptibility classification based on the geological properties showing the worst and mean scenarios for the coastline
- Multi formations: length of coastline that is made up of cliffs with multiple different geology layers
- Inundation: maximum sea-level inundation extents as defined by UK Climate Projections , UKCP18 sea level rise climate scenarios for future sea level rise
These are available in the BGS Onshore GeoIndex .
Coastline management
Bacton and Walcott occur within the shoreline management plan for High Kelling to Lowestoft (SMP6) . The overall current policy is for ‘managed realignment’ and allowing the coastal frontage to retreat once the current coastal defences become non-functional. However, between Bacton and Bacton Gas Terminal, the policy is to ‘hold the line’, thus protecting the gas terminal. Here the cliffs are protected by wooden groynes and breakwaters, revetments and stone gabions. In the summer of 2019, additional protection, which it is anticipated will work for 20 years, was added in the form a major beach replenishment scheme. The ‘sandscaping’ scheme involved the emplacement of 1.8 million cubic tonnes of dredged sand onto the foreshore to increase both the height and width of the foreshore.
A range of regional statistics have been generated from the baseline datasets to provide a Shoreline Management Plan-level overview of coastal properties, cliff erosion and flood susceptibility. These are all provided under the Open Government Licence .
- Coastline cliff erosion: The erosion susceptibility classification based on the geological properties showing the worst and mean scenarios for the coastline
- Multi formations: Length of coastline that is made up of cliffs with multiple different geology layers
- Inundation: Maximum sea-level inundation extents as defined by UK Climate Projections , UKCP18 sea level rise climate scenarios for future sea level rise
These are available in the BGS Onshore GeoIndex .
Aerial photographs
Comparison of aerial photos of Bacton over a 20-year period. Left: 1999; right: 2019. Google Earth © 2020 Infoterra Ltd & Bluesky. Image NASA
Onshore and offshore data from BGS
Onshore and offshore agencies and media
Gallery
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