Shotley Stour Footpath Renovation Group


The Shotley Stour Footpath Renovation Group was formed in February 2009 and is supported by Shotley Parish Council. The aims of the group are to: Reinstate, repair and improve the amenity of the costal footpath from "Bristol Arms" to "Cockle Creek" in Shotley Gate Improve the section of the footpath to a safe standard suitable for both walkers and wheelchair users alike. Restore the picnic area to a high standard with good quality facilities. Below is the artists impression of the new picnic area with a plan of how it would be laid out (click on them to see a larger PDF version - a big thankyou to Emma Graham for producing the artists impressions) ______________________________
Restoring the picnic area: The picnic area that once was has suffered from neglect and vandalism over the years. Save for the lovely planting done by a local resident, this public space remains a blot on our landscape. As people gather to either watch the magnificent cruise ships come and go, or take in the beautiful scenery afforded by this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty we aim to create something similar to the artist impressions above. A safe place for people to relax and have a picnic at the new tables and chairs, which are designed to ensure wheelchair users or families with pushchairs can comfortably use. The new footpath surface will be maintained to a good standard to help people walk and travel in safety and comfort. The hope is that the local community, and visitors to Shotley will have a facility to be proud of, and to use it more frequently for their recreational activity. ______________________________
Addressing the Erosion: An 840m length of Shotley foreshore has been severely eroded in recent years. This erosion has resulted in the total loss of a 340m length of the coastal footpath. Hawes Associates of Aldeburgh, who have experience in designing coastal, estuary, river flood and erosion defences were approached and given a design brief. They were asked to evaluate possible cost effective options of restoring the coastal path and reinforcing the total length of 840m against the continued coastal retreat and degrading of the existing defence structures. Hawes Associates were the company that designed the new approach to Shotley Marina, which has dramatically improved the looks and access to this local amenity.
The area under consideration has been divided into three zones : (Click on the pictures to the right for larger versions). Zone 1: 160m, This is the eastward end of the route and the length of healthiest beach, the existing footpath is approximately 1m above existing beach level and is retained at this level by a sloping bank with a skin of cemented in rocks and bricks. In places the armoured skin of this retaining bank has been breached with the resulting internal erosion threatening the structural integrity of the retaining structure.

Zone 2: 340m, This section of path has retained it’s original profile thanks to the interlocking sheet piles running along the southern boundary. Corrosion has led to holes appearing in places, these have led to loss of ground from behind the retaining piles. In places this has necessitated repairs.

Zone 3: 340m, Erosion along this length has washed away all traces of the coastal path that ran here. A near vertical 2m high exposure of London Clay covered by the Pliocene Crags can be seen on the shore here. Continued undermining and over toppling of soils from higher up the cliff leaves this section very vulnerable to high winds from the south west generating significant wave amplitudes.

Approximate costs have come back for the repair and improvements to the path at £300,000.
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Please click here to see a full copy of the Conceptual design report by Hawes Associates Below are a copy of the enclosures to the above report
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