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Hallsands Village
Whilst the fishermen are out at sea community washing lines fill the beach.
Late 1890s
Behind this calm scene, trouble was escalating for the village.The off-shore dredging was well underway now by the Naval contractor John Jackson and from the
Whilst the fishermen are out at sea community washing lines fill the beach.
Late 1890s
Behind this calm scene, trouble was escalating for the village.The off-shore dredging was well underway now by the Naval contractor John Jackson and from the
beginning of this project there had been no consultation with the village. From April 1897, approximately 1600 tonnes per day of shingle was being extracted from the nearby offshore banks. Within a few months the village were seeing the harmful effects and began to seek
an enquiry:
Extract from a diary of events:June 1897 – An enquiry is held at Hallsands Coast Station with a Board of Trade appointed inspector. The villagers complain of damage to their homes and livelihood. Jackson is adamant that it is only a matter of time until new sand
Extract from a diary of events:June 1897 – An enquiry is held at Hallsands Coast Station with a Board of Trade appointed inspector. The villagers complain of damage to their homes and livelihood. Jackson is adamant that it is only a matter of time until new sand
is moved along the coast to repair the holes. He wins the case but as an act of goodwill agreed to pay £125 to the local community each year until dredging ceased, plus an extra £20 as a Christmas gift and to pay for any damage to pots or fishing gear.
From 1897 to 1900 villagers and dredgers co-exist but in Nov 1900 a spring high tide comes within 3ft of the village rather than the 70 – 80ft before dredging had started. Cracks are appearing in houses and the sea wall is undermined.
Jackson is ordered to provide new footings to the sea wall and a concrete slipway for boats to compensate for the lack of beach.#Devon #Hallsands #DevonCoast #fortheloveofarchives #1890s
https://dartmoortrust.org/archive/record/268163
