North Norfolk Coast: crucible of ecology

There’s something very special about the East Anglian coast. It’s not just that there’s so much of it, a great bulging arc encircling Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex from the Wash to the Thames estuary. For those who live on or near the coast, it is a constant feature of daily life, defining the mood and character of places.

Wide open spaces at Brancaster

Jules Pretty celebrates the ‘luminous’ quality of this coastline, referring to the ever-changing but ever-dominant influence of the light here on the eastern edge of England. Another writer who has been inspired by this coast is the poet Kevin Crossley-Holland:

“I only guess where marsh

finishes and sky begins,

each grows out of the other.”

No-one living here misunderstands the power of the sea, and its mysterious, unpredictable ways. This year we remember the tragic floods of 1953, when so many people lost their lives to a North Sea storm surge that overwhelmed defences all around the coast.

Forty years earlier, a century ago, some very interesting things were happening on the North Norfolk coast. In 1912 Blakeney Point was acquired by the National Trust. Its acquisition was championed by Professor F W Oliver of University College London, who was drawn to the 12-mile shingle spit for its unique flora and fauna.

Prof FW Oliver of UCL - later a member of NT's Council

The lifeboat house at the end of the point is currently undergoing serious restoration work, to ensure we have wind- and water-tight accommodation for our seasonal staff and volunteers, and a place for walkers and nature enthusiasts to shelter and rest. It’s a fantastic example of our approach to looking after a historically, culturally and architecturally important building but at the same time; invest in it as a modern resource.

The Lifeboat House, undergoing restoration Feb 2013

Solar Panels for the Lifeboat House

The North Norfolk coastline was a crucible for the early years of ecological science. Oliver brought many of the leading scientific figures to join him here on field studies expeditions. I was delighted to discover, when I visited property manager John Sizer at our Blakeney office, that a certain ‘Mr Hunter’ had accompanied Oliver on one such visit in July 1912. He stayed on Blakeney Point in a tent, and joined the professor in studying the distribution ‘of each species of plant with esp. reference … to the plants of shingle & sand.”. I assume this was Sir Robert Hunter, the first Chairman of the National Trust, surveying the Trust’s soon-to-be-acquired property (our 49^th). He would have been 68 at the time!

Early Field Studies camp at Blakeney Point. Was Robert Hunter in that tent?

I learned a great deal from my visit, about the infinite complexities of the relationships on the coast. Here in North Norfolk, especially at Brancaster, there is a strong culture of common rights, with 19 different rights registered under the Commons Act, such as the right to pick the local-growing samphire. (Coincidentally, Robert Hunter was the country’s leading expert on common rights and devoted a whole chapter in his 1897 book on the subject to the rights ‘Of Foreshore and Cliff’.)

Crown and state have strong interests too, with different ownership and regulatory regimes operating over the intertidal zone. This is a rapidly developing field – witness the current consultation on marine conservation zones – and makes life interesting for those, like John, who live and work here on the coast, having to hold these relationships in careful balance.

I was also struck by the sheer popularity of this stretch of coast. John reckons that 140,000 people visit Brancaster beach each year. That’s more visitors than most Trust properties get. It’s a huge challenge – keeping everything clean and tidy, providing car parks and loos to go along with the views. But also a huge opportunity for the Trust to show what we are here for, looking after our most special places and landscapes.

Our teams work tirelessly to strike this balance between access and conservation.  It’s something we do well, and something we must constantly keep under review. We know that these places need people and people need these places so encouraging a harmony for mutual benefit  is our main aim. I think we do it pretty well - Sir Robert, who was a strong advocate for both, would be proud of us!