Chesil Beach and the Fleet

Chesil Beach is one of the three major shingle structures in Britain and is of international importance for coastal geomorphology. Along about half its length it encloses the Fleet, the largest tidal lagoon in Britain. This, together with the Beach and associated habitats, incorporates a site that is of international importance to wildlife. Chesil Beach and the Fleet is a candidate Special Area of Conservation (see JNCC web site @ http://www.jncc.gov.uk/idt/default.htm).

Sea defences have been constructed at intervals at the Portland end of the Chesil Beach to try to alleviate the overtopping and flooding problems. A detailed exposition of the history of the site and discussion of the problems and solutions for coastal defence are provided by Ian West from the Southampton Oceanographic Centre, see http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/chesil.htm.

Caption: Chesil Beach (shingle bar) and the Fleet (the lagoon). The ridge in the foreground has been extensively 'engineered' with gabions to protect the village from flooding.