Winterton-on-Sea

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Winterton-on-Sea is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. As its name suggests, it is situated on the coast some 13 km north of the town of Great Yarmouth and 30 km east of the city of Norwich.^[1]

The civil parish has an area of 5.7 km² and in the 2001 census had a population of 1,359 in 589 households. Winterton-on-Sea borders the villages of Hemsby and Somerton. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of Great Yarmouth.^[2]

Between the village of Winterton-on-Sea and the North Sea are the Winterton Dunes which are inhabited by several notable species such as the Natterjack_Toad.

Winterton-on-Sea has received awards on several occasions in the Anglia in Bloom competition[3].

The Holy Trinity and All Saints church situated in Winterton-on-Sea dates back to the 16th Century and is 38m tall[4].

Overlooking the coastline at Winterton-on-Sea in the Hermanus holiday camp; a popular holiday destination complete with restaurant and bar [5].

The coastline at Winterton has always been wellknown as one of the most hazardous parts of the British coastline. On visiting Winterton-on-Sea in 1722 Daniel Defoe remarked on all the houses of the village being made from the timbres of wrecked ships. The hazardous nature of the coastline at Winterton-on-Sea is reflected by the 23m lighthouse overlooking the valley [6].

During World War II, anti-invasion defences were constructed around Winterton-on-Sea. They included a number of pillboxes. The beaches were protected with unusually extensive barriers of scafolding and large numbers of anti-tank cubes.^[7]

Over the second half of the 20th century the coastline at Winterton-on-Sea has been eroded significantly, resulting in the loss of much land. The village has a flood siren installed which is still used to warn inhabitants. Erosion and flooding are significant risks to the village of Winterton-on-Sea and the Winterton Dunes as Winterton-on-Sea like much of Norfolk is mostly situated at sea level.

On the night of February 13-14, 2005 coastal errosion caused a landslide resulting in many of the WWII anti-tank blocks around the car park to topple down onto the beach.^[8]

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

^ Foot, William (2006). Beaches, fields, streets, and hills ... the anti-invasion landscapes of England, 1940. Council for British Archaeology. ISBN 1-902771-53-2.
^ Ordnance Survey (2002). OS Explorer Map 252 - Norfolk Coast East. ISBN 0-319-21888-0.
^ Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Retrieved December 2, 2005.