Berrow Dunes, Somerset

Introduction

Berrow is a small village on the coast of Somerset close to the seaside resort of Burnham-on-Sea. The Berrow Dunes are sandwiched between hard defences along the coast at Burnham-on-Sea and at Brean. The dunes themselves protect many local amenities and are popular with visitors.

It is difficult to determine long-term trends at the dunes, with both erosion and accretion being observed. The causes are equally difficult to determine primarily because of high human impacts on the environment. Dunes are generally susceptible to erosion and the importance of those at Berrow are recognised by local conservation groups who carry out their own monitoring.

Find out more about the coastal processes operating on the sand dunes and the impacts of management by clicking the icon below to download the full article.

This is an excellent case study suitable for GCSE and A level.