Landslips on The Isle of Wight                  

 

 

The problem with some areas of The Isle of Wight is sometimes a rapid loss of land is due to a Landslip. This is caused by layers of Gault Clay in certain areas of The Island.

 

This clay is sometimes formed between layers of rock, and when there is sufficient rainfall with drainage into certain areas the land above the blue slipper will fall and slip away toward the sea, hence the term landslip.

This clay is locally known as 'blue slipper'.

Another less destructive enemy of The Island is Erosion, this is more common throughout the whole Island and is easily slowed down or prevented in a large majority of cases.
 
View from the Edge of Blackgang Chine View from The Blackgang Chine Fantasy Park looking West along the coastline.

Landslips are normally quite small and this coastline has taken hundreds of years to form this way.

The park is constructed on the crest and down a relatively steep hill that in itself has cliffs some 300 feet high at the coastal edge as seen in the picture opposite.

When this happens to high cliffs there is very little that can be done by man to prevent this, it would be too costly, impractical and possibly ugly to try and construct something up to 300 foot high in some parts where this problem lies.

 

  

This is common on the West side of the Island, but thankfully it is very rare in other parts of The Island.

When it does occur in the West tell tale signs usually appear many days even weeks prior to a landslip, so that safety precautions can be arranged. Do not worry about Landslips whilst visiting!
   The area of Blackgang Chine, Niton is a place where the effects of Landslip are most evident, with the result that the organisers of The Blackgang Chine Fantasy Park have to move attractions further up the hill every year or so. 

 

This adds to the cost of running a theme park in such a location but it does mean that when visitors pay a return visit a year of so later some parts of the park almost certainly will have changed, and routes around the park have to change as well.

View The Blackgang Chine Landslip picture gallery.

 

 
A3055 {Undercliff Drive} slips away

The coastal road between Ventnor and Niton fell away over four years ago now and this used to create problems of easy access for holidaymakers and locals alike.  This is the result of a landslip. 

View a picture gallery of The Landslip and more details.

Landslip on Undercliff Drive
 

 

 

Or Visit: http://www.coastalwight.gov.uk/index.html  for an in-depth explanation of effects and types of defences that the council construct to help protect The Island wherever possible.

There are two more recent pictures of an area also prone to Landslips, Luccombe Chine is on the last page of the Erosion section.

 

Or if you are in Ventnor visit the Isle of Wight Centre for the Coastal Environment, Dudley Road, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, PO38 1EJ there are reasonable admission charges to this centre, and there are lots and lots of information, models and maps etc.

{If you stand with your back to the sea and face The Wintergardens/The Harbour Hotel area it is the large tall building behind The Wintergardens high up on the far right hand side of the coast.}

 

 

 

 

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All photographs produced in this site may not be reproduced, copied or used for other means without my prior permission.