May, V.J. & Hansom, J.D. 2003. Coastal Geomorphology of Great Britain, Geological Conservation Review Series No. 28. JNCC, Peterborough, ISBN 1 86107 4840. The original source material for these web pages has been made available by the JNCC under the Open Government Licence 3.0. Full details in the JNCC Open Data Policy

Coastal geomorphology of Great Britain. GCR volume 28

Title page and preliminaries

Acknowledgements

Access to the countryside

Preface

1 An introduction to the coastal geomorphology of Great Britain

Introduction

Organization of this volume

Coastal research in Britain

The geological background

The coastal marine environment: tides, waves, surges and currents

Coastal sediment supply and sediments cells

Sea-level history

Coastal management and coastal engineering

Further reading

GCR site selection guidelines

Anthropogenic influences and the GCR

Legal protection of the GCR sites

GCR site selection in conclusion

2 The geomorphology of the coastal cliffs of Great Britain

Introduction

Inland and coastal cliffs

Coastal slope processes

Processes of marine erosion of cliffs and shore platforms

The form of coastal cliffs

Geological controls on cliff form

Characteristic medium-scale features of cliffs

Influence of inland topography on cliff form

Shore platforms

Evidence of inheritance

Sea cliffs as biological SSSIs and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)

3 Hard-rock cliffs — GCR site reports

Introduction

St Kilda, Western Isles

Villians of Hamnavoe, Shetland

Papa Stour, Shetland

Foula, Shetland

West Coast of Orkney

Duncansby to Skirza Head, Caithness

Tarbat Ness, Ross and Cromarty

Loch Maddy–Sound of Harris Coastline, Western Isles

Northern Islay, Argyll and Bute (Potential GCR site)

Bullers of Buchan, Aberdeenshire

Dunbar, East Lothian

St Abb's Head, Berwickshire

Tintagel, Cornwall

South Pembroke Cliffs, Pembrokeshire

Hartland Quay, Devon

Solfach, Pembrokeshire

4 Soft-rock cliffs — GCR site reports

Introduction

Ladram Bay, Devon

Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire

Blue Anchor–Watchet–Lilstock, Somerset

Nash Point, Glamorgan

Lyme Regis to Golden Cap, Dorset

South-west Isle of Wight

Kingsdown to Dover, Kent

Beachy Head to Seaford Head, East Sussex

Ballard Down, Dorset

Flamborough Head, Yorkshire

Joss Bay (GCR Name: Foreness Point), Kent

Porth Neigwl, Gwynedd

Holderness (Potential GCR Site), Yorkshire

5 Beaches, spits, barriers and dunes — an introduction

Introduction

Provenance of beach sediments

Coastal sediment movements

Beach plan

Beach profiles

Beach states

Bars and troughs

Lateral grading

Prograding beaches

Beach ridges

Spits, tombolos and cuspate forelands

Coastal barriers

Coastal dunes

6 Causes of beach and dune erosion 6 Gravel and 'shingle' beaches — GCR site reports

Introduction

Westward Ho! Cobble Beach, Devon

Loe Bar, Cornwall

Slapton Sands and Hallsands, Devon

Slapton Sands

Hallsands

Budleigh Salterton Beach, Devon

Chesil Beach, Dorset

Porlock, Somerset

Hurst Castle Spit, Hampshire

Pagham Harbour, West Sussex

The Ayres of Swinister, Shetland

Whiteness Head, Moray

Spey Bay, Moray

The West Coast of Jura, Argyll and Bute

Benacre Ness, Suffolk

Orfordness and Shingle Street, Suffolk

Dungeness and Rye Harbour

Rye Harbour, East Sussex

Dungeness, Kent

7 Sandy beaches and dunes — GCR site reports

Introduction

Marsden Bay, County Durham

South Haven Peninsula, Dorset

Upton and Gwithian Towans, Cornwall

Braunton Burrows, Devon

Oxwich Bay, Glamorgan

Tywyn Aberffraw, Anglesey

Ainsdale, Lancashire

Luce Sands, Dumfries and Galloway

Sandwood Bay, Sutherland

Torrisdale Bay and Invernaver, Sutherland

Dunnet Bay, Caithness

Balta Island, Shetland

Strathbeg, Aberdeenshire

Forvie, Aberdeenshire

Barry links, Angus

Tentsmuir, Fife JD. Hansom

8 Sand spits and tombolos — GCR site reports

Introduction

Pwll-ddu, Glamorgan

Ynyslas, Ceredigion

East Head (Chichester Harbour), West Sussex

Spurn Head, Yorkshire

Dawlish Warren, Devon

Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire

Walney Island, Lancashire

Winterton Ness, Norfolk

Mortha Harlech, Gwynedd

Morfa Dyffryn, Gwynedd

St Ninian's Tombolo, Shetland

Coast of the Isles of Scilly

Central Sanday, Orkney

9 Machair

Introduction

Machir Bay, Islay, Argyll and Bute

Eoligarry, Barra, Western Isles

Ardivachar to Stoneybridge, South Uist, Western Isles

Hornish and Lingay Strands (Machairs Robach and Newton)

Pabbay, Harris, Western Isles

Luskentyre and Corran Sellebost, Harris, Western Isles

Mangersta, Lewis, Western Isles

Tràigh na Berie, Lewis, Western Isles

Balnakell, Sutherland

10 Saltmarshes

Introduction

Culbin, Moray (see also Chapter 11)

Morrich More, Ross and Cromarty (see also Chapter 11)

St Osyth Marsh, Essex

Dengie Marsh, Essex

Keyhaven Marsh, Hurst Castle, Hampshire

Solway Firth saltmarshes

Solway Firth (north shore), Dumfries and Galloway

Upper Solway flats and marshes (south shore), Cumbria

Cree Estuary, Outer Solway Firth, Dumfries and Galloway

Loch Gruinart, Islay, Argyll and Bute

11 Coastal assemblage GCR sites

Introduction

Culbin, Moray

Morrich More, Ross and Cromarty

Carmarthen Bay, Carmarthenshire

The Coast of Caernarfon Bay (Newborough Warren and Morfa Dinlle)

Newborough Warren, Isle of Anglesey

Morfa Dinlle, Gwynedd

Holy Island, Northumberland

North Norfolk Coast

The Dorset Coast: Peveril Point to Furry Cliff

References

Glossary

Index

Figures and tables

Tables