A couple living in Trimingham on the Norfolk coast have been forced to reconsider the future of their dream home after coastal erosion brought the sea dangerously close to their property.
Derrick Bowler and his wife moved to the coastal village in 2011, hoping to enjoy daily beach walks similar to those his wife remembered from her childhood in Cape Town, South Africa.
However, coastal erosion in Trimingham has continued to threaten homes along the Norfolk coastline. Over the past 20 years, dozens of properties have become uninhabitable, with the latest house demolished in May 2024.
“We’ve had to revise our opinions and our thoughts because of the coastal erosion, but it’s not something we think about every day – you would go mad otherwise,” Mr Bowler said.
The Bowlers’ home, built in 1780, was sold to them as their “house of dreams” when they moved to Trimingham.
In recent years, North Norfolk District Council told the couple that their property could be lost to coastal erosion in around 20 years.
When they first arrived, a 45-degree slope led down to the water’s edge. Today, the cliff has changed dramatically, appearing as though “a giant has taken two big bites” from it.
Mr Bowler said: “In comparison to the inhabitants of Hemsby and Happisburgh, we are so lucky. We don’t think about it too much.”
Source: www.bbc.co.uk