Eastbourne's main defence against the sea is the shingle bank. Much of the coastline consists of a shingle upper beach and a sandy lower foreshore.
Shingle is an excellent absorber of wave energy and is restrained from excessive movement along the beach (littoral drift) by the groynes. The direction of littoral drift along Eastbourne's coastline is from west to east.
Eastbourne's ageing coastal protection was replaced in a major scheme in the mid to late 1990's. The scheme was designed by consultants, Posford Duvivier, with model testing at HR Wallingford. The total cost of the scheme was £30m and was grant aided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, now the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The new groyne field consists of 94 timber groynes that run from Holywell to Langney Point. A concrete seawall, providing secondary protection, runs along the landward side of the beach from Holywell to the Fishing Station (Groyne numbers 4 to 60). In some areas additional rock revetments have been installed to protect vulnerable sections.
You can download an information pack about the coastal protection works that was produced at the time of the scheme under Related Documents, below.
