fortification against the sea
On the second day of my virtual biking last week, I toured Porthleven, a large town along the Cornwall coast. Street View had done its image-taking on a clear day, but the steep cliffs along the ocean made me ponder what it might be like to stand on this exposed coast in a storm.
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I wondered why so many foundations along the cliff side of the street were abandoned. One of the foundations enclosed what might be a giant chess board!
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abandoned foundations along the coast at Porthleven (image from Street View)
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Then I had a first glimpse of the seawall and signs warning sightseers to beware …
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seawall and clock tower at Porthleven (image from Street View)
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The harbour itself is a maze of thick, high walls and the piers of a now absent bridge …
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the fortified harbour of Porthleven (image from Street View)
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A little searching on the internet found a dramatic photo (credit: Annabel May Oakley-Watson/REX) of the clock tower in the first image above, during a coastal storm … (‘Should Coastal Britain Surrender to the Tides?’, Patrick Barkham, The Guardian, February 7, 2014). http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/07/should-coastal-britain-surrender-to-tide
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(photo credit: Annabel May Oakley-Watson/REX)
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Copyright 2014 Jane Tims
nichepoetryandprose 
Wow! Dramatic is a great word for that photo. It looks like such a beautiful, calm place in the street views.
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Robin
August 28, 2014 at 1:26 pm
Hi Robin. A quick internet search will show other very dramatic photos of Porthleven during a storm. Jane
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jane tims
August 28, 2014 at 9:21 pm
I think we will all have to surrender to the tides sooner or later, especially as a result of climate change. Tim & I often think about moving farther inland. My sister (the geologist) says the east coast of North America is in danger from potential tsunamis caused by movement along the Azores-Gibraltar Transform Fault off the coast of Portugal. I love being near the sea, though it is sobering to contemplate its power.
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Barbara Rodgers
August 27, 2014 at 10:43 am
Hi Barbara. I remember your photos of the water levels after a hurricane a couple of years ago. I have also heard about the potential for a tsunami along the eastern coast. Our recent troubles with a six day power outage shows we can still be at the mercy of nature. Jane
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jane tims
August 28, 2014 at 9:20 pm
What a dramatic photo of the water lashing the hills! I always dream of living close to water but know the reality of tidal surges, hurricanes and irregular behaviours of nature…all of which seem to be growing in size and frequency on our Atlantic Coast. I always enjoy your perspectives and ideas in your blog.
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Carol Steel
August 27, 2014 at 7:43 am
Hi Carol. So many times I’ve walked a shore on a sunny day and longed to live there. But I know we have had some very dramatic coastal storms in New Brunswick too. Jane
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jane tims
August 28, 2014 at 9:17 pm