Tuesday 24 September 2013

Seaside Wanderings...

On Sunday morning having packed up our tent and sleeping bags, wandered the campsite to collect a bag full of the proliferation of field mushrooms, and wandered down to Sheringham for an ice cream, we decided to head along the coast road to Hunstanton. I'd not been for years, and had long since forgotten what it was like - or perhaps it has changed, who knows? Either way, what we found wasn't to our tastes at all - I love tacky seaside places but this was beyond tacky - all chips, donuts, noise and concrete. Even the "Beach huts" are white UPVC with an acre of baking hot concrete between them and the concrete wall of the "Prom" - and looking more like tiny industrial units than anywhere you might want to spend a sunny afternoon! We wandered for a bit, feeling less than inspired. We sat and ate our lunch looking out to sea, and MrEH treated us to a cup of tea each and a bag of donuts. Looking in that direction, you could see the charm of the place - the sun glinting off the wet sand...


...and a fishing boat leaning drunkenly over waiting for the tide to come and get it.


Gulls everywhere - mostly Black Headed Gulls but with the occasional Common Gull thrown in as well. Far better mannered that the stereotypical seaside Herring Gull these - happy to grab anything that was thrown for them by passers-by but not diving in and stealing chips from the wrapping.


It didn't get any better. So we turned tail and walked back towards the car - and then we spotted it - the beach beyond the Prom...


...naturally we couldn't resist going to explore! The cliffs here are fascinating - three layers, or white chalk, red chalk, and sandstone.  This stretch of coast suffers badly from erosion, and looking at the make-up of the cliffs it's hardly surprising


We were also intrigued by the rock formations on the shore - look:


Odd, eh? We think it might be some sort of "Wave cut platform" following a bit of internet based research, but would be interested to  hear any more  theories. Either way it cuts quite an odd sight as you walk along.

On the whole we both agreed that there are beachy places in Norfolk that we would rather visit, but it was lovely to get one final beach walk in this summer - and yes, it did feel like summer again! Lovely!

Robyn


8 comments:

Rupert Neil Bumfrey said...

My recollection of New Hunstanton was the "Lido", full of screaming folks and at age four rather intimidating!

Just around the corner on the beach you would have come to Old Hunstanton which I imagine would have been more to your taste.

That is where my Father came from, his Father was a gardener on one of the estates, and was brought up with paraffin lighting, which was upgraded to electricity at some stage in the 1930's.

As soon as he completed his years at Kings Lynn Grammar, where he undertook roof top night vigils for German bombers, he decamped to London for University, only ever returning later to visit his parents, never to live there again.

Pat Machin said...

I'm glad you did get as far as the cliffs. I have an ammonite which I picked up from the beach under those cliffs.

And yes, you would have liked Old Hunstanton.

gillibob said...

It is a wave cut platform. I remember studying it for A level Geology. Always wanted to go back there, it is a great place.

I have a couple of Brachiopods from there as well as an Ammonite or two.

gillibob said...

If memory serves me right-there is a similar one at St Bee's head in Cumbria. Although i have been there, i haven't actually seen it as the tide was in.

Robyn said...

What fab comments! Rupert - Old Hunstanton, of course! THAT's the place I remember from years ago - we SO should have stopped there! I guess your Father - like a lot of others from similar areas - would have been drawn in by the bright lights and promise of London - exciting times!
Pat, we saw the signs about the fossils there, but didn't find anything ourselves.
Bob - thanks for the confirmation about the wave-cut platform, and you're right about St Bees too - I came across that on my research! The last time I went fossil-hunting was at Charmouth, I think!

gillibob said...

Lots of fossils to be found in various places in t'Northwest as well.

Castleton is great as it was once a coral reef, as was Burnley!

We are near to Rivington and a few fossils can be found there( if you know where to look)I also have some wonderful 'Gypsum roses' from The Eden Valley in The lakes-Not fossils, but so fascinating to look at.

I will shut up now as i could go on for ever..eek!

Wendy said...

That is a shame that Hunstanton has been ruined, but I'm pleased you found some 'natural' beauty there. Lovely photos of the coast and I'm glad the sun shone!

Robyn said...

Ha ha Bob - I don't have the patience for it these days! Still have some of the bits I found years ago though!
Wendy - we've found if we look for long enough we usually find something worth seeing!