Porlock Bay, Somerset

Introduction

Porlock Bay lies on the Somerset coast, facing northwest into the Bristol Channel. It experience a large tidal range as well as storms which penetrate up the channel from the Atlantic. The beach itself is predominantly comprised of a long, steep shingle barrier formed over many thousands of years, moving landwards as sea level rose after the last ice advance. The upper shingle section of the beach is steep due to the impact of storm waves which remove smaller material from the bottom of the beach.

In 1996, a large storm surge coincided with the already high tide raising the sea level enough to wash over the top section of the beach allowing the sea to flood into the fields behind. As the tide receded, the floodwaters escapes forming a breach in the barrier.

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This is an excellent case study especially for A level students studying coasts or GCSE students conducting fieldwork at Porlock Bay.