Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
10 February 2011
08:4392148#1
Well its been a long hard winter for all of us. The early snows made it feel very long indeed and its not over yet. All of us feel more than a tad ravaged by the elements. Likewise our once glorious Cliffs. Now very ravaged indeed and looking a long distant relative to the cliffs portrayed in the song where the bluebirds gloriously soared over...when their whiteness was the stuff of legend.
Now looking a distictly scrub grey, with vegetation all over them and no longer the eyecatcher they once were. No wonder the DoverTownCouncil opted for their counterpart in Eastbourne when looking for a white cliff picture to adorn their website.
I wonder if Mr Cameron could find a deep pocket somewhere to fund a sort of restoration.
10 February 2011
11:1392155#2
Perhaps they would fall down if same vegetation removed!
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
10 February 2011
11:3292157#3
Ah indeed Diana always a possibility...but look at the following picture taken a few years back..some maintenance must be a possibility
Note also what looks like concrete beneath the climbers, its holding the cliffs together. We may have an expert among our numbers who will be able to explain more. That looks like concrete to me anyway...no vegetation grows there!!
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
10 February 2011
12:1392162#4
Thats what happens when cliffs are held back from sea erosion.... just walk beyond the Eastern Docks and they are definately very white !!
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
10 February 2011
15:0092167#5
Your right about maintenance Paul.
The cliffs do get inspected from time to time and I suspect the concrete is either to fill an old entrance or tie boulders in.
If you look very carfuly along the cliff with some binos you may see bolts sticking out slightly. large boulders that may present a problem in the future are pinned in with long rods to hold them in.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
10 February 2011
19:5592207#6
When..in the old days...I worked on the immigration visiting Americans used to ask how diod we keep the cliffs so white I used to tell them that we had chain gangs whose job it was to paint them. I also told thm that the chewing of gum was illegal..gee whizz..often came the response as they emptied their gum into the litter bins..
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
11 February 2011
07:4092247#7
I know this is obvious, but the Sussex white cliffs are whiter than ours because they have the sea at the bottom of them so helping erosion and keeping their cliffs clean/white.
Because we have buildings in front of ours instead of the sea, that erosion doesn't happen, so the cliffs don't stay clean/white.
There must be a case for clearing some of the "no-value" growth on a lot of the cliffs we have, that form part of our "white" cliffs.
I'm sure the EA would say no though and if they said O.K. who would pay for it ?
Roger
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
11 February 2011
09:2592265#8
I dont know if I missed this news earlier or indeed if its just happened but have just seen the Dover Town Council website as mentioned at the top of the page, and they have replace their infamous picture of the seven sisters with one of Dover...and quite a nice one too. Its actually Dover this time and taken by Simon Chambers...MaggieSKs other 'alf.
http://www.dovertown.co.uk
The photo was chosen by Dame Vera Lynn.
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
11 February 2011
09:4392266#9
If I was a resident of East Cliff or Athol Terrace, the last thing I would want is for the cliffs to be painted or chipped at to be whitened. Plant life that grows on the cliff helps stabilise the surface to a limited extent and act as a barrier to erosion. Removal would increase the likelihood of collapse into the back garden or worse.
Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
11 February 2011
11:3592286#10
I remember those cliffs above East Cliff being cemented and pinned about 20 or more years ago, it's probably in the Dover Express archives if anyone has access. They certainly looked bright at the time.
Re the DTC website, the picture is a great improvement as well as being of Dover. Good to see the photographer credited and the project mentioned, as well as the involvement of Dame Vera which gives a level of cudos and even historical significance to the pic.
11 February 2011
16:5292327#11
There are also parts of the cliffs, opposite us Paul, held in place with wire "cages" like gabions. I am also interested to kinow what the nest box type protrusions are (they are just above Moats' Bulwark) and whether they can be accessed from inside the cliffs.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
11 February 2011
18:3592330#12
The 'windows' are Guilford Shaft, a staircase that runs from Moats Bulwark to near the Ack Ack gun by the tunnels in the Castle .
If you are talking about small boxes there are various movement monitors along the cliffs
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
12 February 2011
08:4792368#13
Yes indeed Diana we can clearly see the cages which Im assuming inhibits rockfalls and limits vegetation. So couple that to the cement as mentioned and shown in the pic above and indeed further couple it to the metal pins as mentioned by Ian and obviously quite substantial remedial work has been carried out in the past.
All our natural resources need man managing, everywhere from Snowdon to the Fen Country needs looking after. We often see this on TV dont we..or much would become overgrown scrub, and as the Cliffs are another of our natural resources it looks as they have been neglected somewhat.
