FreeTrader Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 Large parts of the UK coast have been battered again today as another Atlantic storm causes flooding and structural damage to homes and businesses. Dawlish has taken most of the headlines as a section of sea wall collapsed, washing away ballast and destroying some 40m of railway track. All main line services to the West of England go through Dawlish, and it will likely take several weeks to repair the track. You can see this section of track from Horse Cove House, highlighted in post #71. Another large storm is expected at the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R K Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Sea view. Mostly in the kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sour Mash Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Crazy pictures of the railway line/houses next to it. But at least the people in the houses know that there will be effort put into quickly repairing the sea wall (they have to, to fix the railway). Unlike many who may see their houses abandoned for good to the sea or allowed to be abandoned in the coming years. That said, why on Earth were they running a main line right down the actual coast..? It's not as is there were cliffs there that forced them to do it, it would surely have made more sense to put it a bit inland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Crazy pictures of the railway line/houses next to it. But at least the people in the houses know that there will be effort put into quickly repairing the sea wall (they have to, to fix the railway). Unlike many who may see their houses abandoned for good to the sea or allowed to be abandoned in the coming years. Haven't researched it, but perhaps wasn't so close to the sea when Brunel built it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justthisbloke Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Every time I've been on that train, I've wondered how long the line would last. But then Brunel built it so it's been around a while! It's a fantastic journey, by the way. Amazing views whatever the weather and time of day. Hope they fix it before I have to head West again - spending all day in a car on that route must rate as a grim time for even the most fume addled petrol head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swissy_fit Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Crazy pictures of the railway line/houses next to it. But at least the people in the houses know that there will be effort put into quickly repairing the sea wall (they have to, to fix the railway). Unlike many who may see their houses abandoned for good to the sea or allowed to be abandoned in the coming years. That said, why on Earth were they running a main line right down the actual coast..? It's not as is there were cliffs there that forced them to do it, it would surely have made more sense to put it a bit inland. Bit pricey going under or over all the various West Country hills? Initial demand was for Londoners holidaying in the resorts along that coast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Crazy pictures of the railway line/houses next to it. But at least the people in the houses know that there will be effort put into quickly repairing the sea wall (they have to, to fix the railway). Unlike many who may see their houses abandoned for good to the sea or allowed to be abandoned in the coming years. That said, why on Earth were they running a main line right down the actual coast..? It's not as is there were cliffs there that forced them to do it, it would surely have made more sense to put it a bit inland. Cos the hills would have been dearer to tunnel through maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Executive Sadman Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 for the gamblers amongst you... http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-28936272.html ....aaaaaah yes thhe penny drops, how much can be extracted from taxpayers.... Interested parties should aquaint themselves with Waveney District Council's DM22 prior to purchase. DM22 appears to give rights to the owners of the property affected by coastal erosion. Although these rights are different for properties purchased after 1998 there are still potentially valuable rights in this case. the real question is will it still be there by the 13th of march IMO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 (edited) We have it pretty easy here. There are countless countries around the planet - many of them very poor - who have rail lines , roads and communities washed away on a daily basis. We like to live in the areas that are most susceptible to extreme weather events. The simple solution is not to live there - or at least be sensible and have housing built 'upside down' etc. I know it doesn't fit with the historic reasons for these settlement - but we can't exactly greet too much when a house by the sea gets washed away - its pretty much guaranteed to happen one day. Edited February 5, 2014 by ccc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swissy_fit Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 for the gamblers amongst you... http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-28936272.html ....aaaaaah yes thhe penny drops, how much can be extracted from taxpayers.... Interested parties should aquaint themselves with Waveney District Council's DM22 prior to purchase. DM22 appears to give rights to the owners of the property affected by coastal erosion. Although these rights are different for properties purchased after 1998 there are still potentially valuable rights in this case. the real question is will it still be there by the 13th of march IMO! You could get quite a bit of temporary accommodation for Eastern European fruitpickers on that garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_renting Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 This minor disaster might turn out to have a silver lining for Dawlish and the West Country. I was unaware how picturesque the railway is, and would love to travel on it some day. In drier weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hovis Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Cos the hills would have been dearer to tunnel through maybe? Those were the main places people wanted to go, either that or over (or under) Dartmoor. Dawlish - Brunels railway under threatThere are only a few coast railways left in Great Britain - but they are under threat. Their sea walls are getting undermined by the waves. The extension of the railway along the coastIn 1843 Isambard Kingdom Brunel was commissioned to build an extension to the Great Western Railway along the south Devon coast to Plymouth. But why did he build the line here? Due to the landscape he had two options - to build along the coast or put the route through some very long tunnels linking Dawlish to Teignmouth. The original route was further out and exposed to the sea. But after opposition from locals he built a system of five tunnels through cliffs and a 4 mile sea wall. http://www.bbc.co.uk/coast/series3/02_bournemouth_plymouth.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Those were the main places people wanted to go, either that or over (or under) Dartmoor. http://www.bbc.co.uk..._plymouth.shtml The original route was further out and exposed to the sea. But after opposition from locals he built a system of five tunnels through cliffs and a 4 mile sea wall. NIMBY's even back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hovis Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Quick bump for Freetrader's thread, extremely relevant with all the flooding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Quick bump for Freetrader's thread, extremely relevant with all the flooding. I'm still in Somerset, have to disappoint. Not flooded here yet! Bit wet though! Haven't there been storms around County Hovis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hovis Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I'm still in Somerset, have to disappoint. Not flooded here yet! Bit wet though! Haven't there been storms around County Hovis? Oh indeed, it was actually last Tuesday IIRC that seemed like the end of days, the local radio as I was driving home was pretty much given over to the travel bulletin: tree down at, electric lines across the road at. I was driving back thinking they hadn't affected me yet when they started reading out ones that did It looks like West Wales has had the worst of it over the last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wurzel Of Highbridge Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I'm still in Somerset, have to disappoint. Not flooded here yet! Bit wet though! Haven't there been storms around County Hovis? No flooding here in the overdensely populated village/town of Street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 No flooding here in the overdensely populated village/town of Street. Ha! You deserve a wild night out in Clevedon where "the party never stops"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Oh indeed, it was actually last Tuesday IIRC that seemed like the end of days, the local radio as I was driving home was pretty much given over to the travel bulletin: tree down at, electric lines across the road at. I was driving back thinking they hadn't affected me yet when they started reading out ones that did It looks like West Wales has had the worst of it over the last week. I shall ask some people in Wales. I have friends there! Down in Carmarthen and Pembroke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hovis Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I shall ask some people in Wales. I have friends there! Down in Carmarthen and Pembroke! Wet friends! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Executive Sadman Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Apparently now its going to knock 0.5% to 1.0% off economic growth...but I though all those broken window keynesians in govt loved this stuff. Dont trust these weather excuses anyway. They said thats why the US hasnt been doing well over the last couple of months- cold weather. And yet, go to the South West US where its been average or above temperatures, and its the same bad economic story. What gives? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WSG Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Dunno if its relevant but southwest USA especially California is in the midst of an epic drought....there aren't any winter rains replenishing the mountain snow which feeds the rivers through the summer. Bound to be effects in the agricultural sector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffy666 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I'm still in Somerset, have to disappoint. Not flooded here yet! Bit wet though! Haven't there been storms around County Hovis? Tad breezy out there. Suppose I'd better let the kids in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Dunno if its relevant but southwest USA especially California is in the midst of an epic drought....there aren't any winter rains replenishing the mountain snow which feeds the rivers through the summer. Bound to be effects in the agricultural sector There appears to be some unusually crap weather in the USA. Snow in Nashville? North Carolina too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porca misèria Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Fascinating posts Freetrader. I wonder if you get a free pair of waders with the house for £2.6m? Waders? I'd expect a bloomin' canoe for that! Showing my age? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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