Last Friday, Year 8 set off for their Humanities field work visit to Dunwich as part of their Geography studies on rocks and erosion.
They spent an hour on the beach looking at the natural sea defences created by banks of shingle after the last storm surge in 2013, as well as rock formation on the cliffs. Mr Marland taught the pupils about long shore drift and the pupils discussed the disparity of investment in coastal management at Dunwich and neighbouring villages. Whilst at the beach, some pupils were able to interview local residents and tourists about their views on protecting this part of the coast. After the beach visit, pupils had the chance to visit the local museum to learn about the lost city of Dunwich which has has eroded into the sea over a period of 800 years. The village used to be the second largest town in East Anglia after Norwich in the late 1200s until a devastating storm cut off the harbour and in time the livelihood of the port itself. This led to increased levels of erosion and slowly the population diminished so that the village now has less than 100 permanent residents.
Pupils will be considering the following statement now that they are back in school: Should there be more investment in sea defences at Dunwich?
The whole afternoon was enjoyable and fascinating – well worth a visit if you haven’t yet had the chance. The pupils’ projects will be available to view later in the term. Many thanks to Humanities staff and the Gappies for their help and support.
