Recommended beaches to sunbathe on.

 

A3055 Ventnor to Niton { Undercliff Drive} Landslip

 

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.

Emagine driving into this one morning! View from Shanklin side.

According to a local who lives a few hundred yards from here, the road slipped suddenly one morning.

Road Closed

View from Niton side

Closer view from Niton side

Vacated property near to the slipped road

This delightfull large detached house is now empty after the residents had to leave for their own safety following floor boards springing up and cracks developing. It looks fine from the outside though! Situated about 100 yards from the slipped road. Note the chains on the gate.

Pedestrian footpath to Niton

This was created through what was the front garden of the vacated house in the previous picture. The the left of this path is the slipped road. There are rumours that this house is to be demolished and a small bypass road constructed, however behind the house are yet more cliffs so there is a limit on the area available to the Council.

NEW: View of the new road from Ventnor

This I could hardly beleive when I saw it! There was considerable room behind where the derelict house used to be all along, and this new route is more direct. The old road can be seen taking a sharp left in the middle of the picture.

NEW: View of the new road from Niton

This shows the new road curling round to the left leaving a small part of the original to the right. The campsite can still be accessed to the very right

NEW: Brow of the new road

This is the middle of the road looking towards Niton and this was one of many nice days I had the pleasure to enjoy this year.

NEW: There was a house here somewhere!

Well before this was taken I was told that the derelict detached house was still standing but when I had a look this is where it was. The new road can just be seen to the very top right of the picture, structural movement aside the house did not have to be demolished to make way for the road anyway. All that now remains is the rockery garden {pictured earlier} and just one of the stone entrance posts of the original driveway.

 

 

The council constructed a very nice road around this landslip a couple of years ago now and now it seems strange where the old road veers off sharply off the new one, and the new road is more direct.  There was considerable land behind the house that had to be demolished all along!  In fact if it hadn't have been for its subsidence the house could have stayed.

According to a local resident living within a few hundred yards of the slip it happened suddenly early one morning and the large detached house nearby has been vacated and is to be demolished although from the outside it looks perfect, but apparently the house suffered movement with floorboards springing up.

Once it was demolished this is where the council constructed this small bypass road. The lovely garden to the front of the property has had a path constructed through it for pedestrian access around the slip toward Niton. 

The same stretch of road has signs stating recently that the road is shut and a diversion is in place at Niton.  However the road is not shut but yet again has traffic lights on one section and one side of the road is closed where there are cracks appearing in the tarmac.  Three Geotechnical vans were drilling and taking pile samples of underlying strata at three locations here for The Council in August 2004.

 

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