Joanne Gale : Dangerous wooden spikes on beach at Norman’s Bay
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Sadly we missed the message until now, but we are happy to report back on correspondence with Wealden District Council.
Jo offers a positive view of their response. Can anyone throw any more light on these spikes? What is the definitive answer?
There seem to be at least three explanations that do the rounds amongst local people. In Norman’s Bay they appear to be remnants of old groynes, but mention has also been made within Wealden District Council of a relationship to some work undertaken in the Second World War, as part of defences. We certainly see spikes in the form of squares here in the Bay appearing at certain times in the year, and without question, as Jo points out, they are dangerous, particularly to little feet!!
Joanne Gale, letter to editor
3 September 2014
Hi, being a frequent visitor to Normans Bay Camping & Caravanning Club, this year we noticed wooden spikes on the beach opposite (quite close to the stones) which cannot be seen until the tide goes out. This is very dangerous (my daughter scratched her leg on them) as they cannot be seen until the tide is very low. They are totally separate from the wooden breakers that run down to the beach. They run horizontal in the sand. I’ve never noticed them before and have been here every year for the last 9 years…does anyone know how they have appeared (is it because the stones have been dragged further up the beach for sea defence reasons?).
Ideally these spikes of wood need to be removed as they are very dangerous and I cannot see that they are there for any reason. A laminated sign has been put up (outside the camping & caravanning club site) saying ‘beware of obstructions’ but personally I do not think this is adequate as you cannot see these obstructions until the tide goes out.
If you have any information about this, please could you let me know or if you have a contact for a person that I should relay my concerns to, please let me know.
Kind regards. Jo Gale
16 September update
I have been in touch with the Council and they very quickly responded. I understand the winter storms had dragged the stones so far up the beach that these wooded sections had been uncovered, so the council were going to put up warning signs and were also going to cut the shape wooded sections down and then recover them with stones, so hopefully this matter will be resolved very quickly. Thankyou.
Kind regards. Jo Gale
