Barton

Anybody walking the coastal stretch between Highcliffe and Milford on Sea on a regular basis, will likely have that feeling that there is something slightly different about the cliffs each time, but can't quite put their finger on it.

The soft geological landscape of the New Forest and surrounding area is visibly demonstrated in the activity of the cliffs around Barton on Sea. This is especially obvious when compared with the chalk cliffs visible on the Isle of Wight and further along the coast in Dorset.

This very dynamic landscape and the erosion of these cliffs are now being monitored by the New Forest National Park Coastal Heritage Project. The erosion of the cliffs is not only a threat to the modern inhabitants but also to the heritage record on the coast, which is one of the main reasons why the New Forest Coastal Heritage Project was initiated. It is important that we try and capture this information before it is lost forever.

A catalogue of photos is being compiled from every visit to Barton Cliffs making it possible to see the regression and collapse of specific sections of cliff over time these also show manmade features that are now being reclaimed by nature from modern brick work and concrete bunkers to prehistoric stone tools.

Two areas of interest have been identified and will be monitored; one is a fence line running perpendicular to the cliffs and the other are the remnants of Second World War defensive features along the coast. The photos below demonstrate some of the extreme changes at Barton-on-Sea in a short period of time.