Hallsands, a once-bustling seaside village on the South Devon coast, now stands as a testament to the consequences of disturbing nature's equilibrium. Nestled in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty near Start Bay , the village began its descent into the sea after large amounts of sand and shingle, which had safeguarded it for centuries, were extracted in the late 19th century. For many years, Hallsands thrived as a modest yet prosperous fishing community .
By the 1890s, it boasted 37 houses and a population of 159, with inhabitants primarily dependent on fishing for their income. The village was precariously perched on a rocky ledge, shielded by natural barriers of sand and shingle. However, this protective barrier underwent a drastic transformation in 1897 when the Admiralty decided to expand the Royal Navy dockyard at Keyham, Plymouth.
Sir John Jackson, the contractor, was granted permission to extract sand and shingle from the seabed off Hallsands. Unbeknownst to the villagers, Jackson started dredging the coast, removing an average of 1,600 tons of material daily. This extraction of the beach led the sea to inch closer to the village, destabilising the shore and paving the way for catastrophe, reports the Express .
As the beach continued to erode, concerns among villagers and local officials escalated. In 1900, a petition was raised about the damage to houses, as the high tide now reached within a meter of the village, a stark contrast to the previous 70-80 feet distanc.