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cliffs of bedrock being actively eroded by the sea. There are many small folds in the
bedrock, but generally the coastal slope is of the hog's-back type (Fig. 85). Views from
this hill range extend northwards across the Bristol Channel and southwestwards across
a wide valley, eroded preferentially in New Red Sandstone and with a capping of Early
Jurassic sediment. It is clear that an early topography of valleys was partially filled
with New Red Sandstone (strictly part of our Landscape C ), which has later been mod-
ified by faulting. The faulting makes interpretation of this area difficult, so the details
of the early topography are not as clear as they are to the south and north, along this
same important unconformity.
FIG 84. Slope map of Area 3, with slopes greater than 5 degrees shown in red.
Porlock Bay ( a3 ) occupies the mouth of this valley, and has been the site of an in-
teresting recent planning decision. Until 1996, the bay was protected by a natural barri-
er of gravel that had been accumulating under storm conditions and moving landwards
to its present position as the Flandrian sea level rose. Behind the barrier, farm land had
been drained, using tidal gates along with periodic engineering work to maintain the
level of the barrier. In 1996 the barrier was breached by storm waves at a time of high
tide, and it has now been decided to let the farmland 'go', returning it to salt marsh.
After centuries of attempting to defend the land against the seas, it is difficult to con-
vince people that it is sensible to let some land go, particularly if they have a special
interest in it.
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