Abbot’s Hall Farm, Essex

Case Study of Soft Engineering Coastal Protection

Facts• On the Essex coast sea level is rising by around 6mm per year due to the

combined effects of global warming and the settling of the land mass in the south-east.

• The seawalls surrounding most of the Essex coast today were constructed more than 300 years ago to reclaim land from the sea.

• The coastal realignment project at Abbotts Hall Farm was designed to recreate lost habitats by allowing salt water back on to the land reclaimed originally.

• Two new counter walls were constructed at either end of the site to protect neighbouring land.

Facts

• This has allowed the creation of 200 acres of mudflat, salt marsh and coastal grassland.

• The seawall was breached in five places in October 2002 and very quickly salt marsh plants moved in.

• Managed retreat is used to great effect, with certain areas left to nature in order to release pressure on sea walls further down coast which protect more valuable land.

• The main location of this is around 20 miles south of Colchester, an area of high social value due to the large population.