CoastView - Birling Gap

Go to newspaper articles and reports on Birling Gap.

Birling Gap from the west.

	Birling Gap, as recorded by the French photographer, Louis Levy, in about 1906. The Coastguard Cottages and rocket house are well back from the edge of the cliffs!
	This photograph must have been taken in about 1920. The cliff edge has almost reached the rocket house. Most of the wall beyond has been destroyed.
	In this 1970s photograph, the cliff edge is approaching the Coastguard Cottages.
	The scene in July 2002, after demolition of cottage number 2.

Birling Gap from the east.

This photograph was taken in about 1920 looking west across Birling Gap. The rocket house remains intact, but the sea is encroaching on it at a rate of about 0.7 m per year.
The same view in July 2002. The changes in the position of the cliff top are quite dramatic.

Comparison between the 1st Edition Ordanance Survey map of 1875 (Scale 1:10560) from 1875 and an air photograph from 1999 clearly shows the scale of erosion at Birling Gap. Move the mouse cursor over the map to switch to the air photograph.