Huge landslide closes part of South West Coastal Path
A massive landslide has dramatically reshaped part of the Jurassic Coast, weeks after a significant 300ft crack appeared in the cliff face.
Thousands of tonnes of rock and mud have collapsed on Charmouth beach in Dorset, destroying large parts of the popular South West Coast Path, England’s most visited National Path.
A 30ft wide section of the 450ft high cliff has separated from the mainland and now stands approximately 20ft lower than its original location.
The fall has been likened to a “penny arcade game” pushing huge mudflows towards the beach below, making it impassable.
This event marks the latest in a series of significant rockfalls along the rapidly eroding coastline.
Experts believe the dramatic movement in the 175-million-year-old cliffs is a direct result of weeks of incessant rainfall.
The coast guard urges the public, especially fossil hunters, to stay away from the base of the cliffs as another landslide may occur at any time.
They closed the coastal path at Stonebarrow and the beach below to prevent future tragedies.
Fossil hunter Chris Moore said: “It’s very impressive. If you go down to Charmouth beach, you’ll see a pile of mud and trees now extending into the sea.”
“I looked from above and about 30ft of the coastline was gone as the cliff front dropped some 5ft to 50ft below the cliff face.
“It’s a bit like one of those arcade games where you push pennies around and the top slides and pushes every layer underneath until you end up on the beach and it’s filled with fossils.
“They will slide further down the cliff with the next rain, so people should never stand on the edge of the cliff and also look out for any streaks or tears in the grass, which means a section is about to go.”
Dorset Council had been monitoring the area for movement for some time after a large breach appeared in the cliff-top land a few years ago.
A council spokesman said: “There has been a major cliff fall and mudflow in Stonebarrow, Charmouth.
“The coastal road is currently closed and we are working on diversion.
“Rockfalls and landslides can happen at any time.
“The Jurassic Coast is a Unesco World Heritage Site known for its extraordinary rocks, fossils and landforms.
“There is 95 miles of coastline within the counties of Dorset and Devon.
“It looks this way due to erosion from weather and sea. Rockfalls and landslides are part of the movement that creates the unique nature of this coastline.”
A few kilometers west of Lyme Regis, rocks continue to tumble down the fragile cliff face onto the blocked beach.
The coastguard is monitoring an “active and ongoing” landslide on the 150ft cliffs above Monmouth Beach in Lyme Regis.
A Lyme Regis coastguard spokesman said: “We strongly advise all members of the public to avoid this area. Do not attempt to climb the slip or walk near the base of the affected cliffs.”
“The cliffs along the Jurassic Coast are naturally unstable and can crumble without warning.”
In 2012, 22-year-old holidaymaker Charlotte Blackman was crushed to death by a rockfall while walking under the cliffs on Burton Bradstock beach.
