A Suffolk farming family has taken a pioneering approach to the relentless challenge of coastal erosion, choosing to adapt their business and lifestyle rather than engage in an unviable battle against nature. The Jones family, based at Easton Bavents near Southwold, has witnessed more than two-thirds of their 400-acre estate disappear into the North Sea since the 1920s, a stark illustration of the impact of climate change on the UK coastline.
Anne Jones, whose great-grandfather Herbert Boggis acquired the land a century ago, described the profound changes to their property. Five family homes have been lost to the sea over the decades, with the most recent, a pink house, ceasing to exist in 2020. The family has undertaken the difficult task of demolishing properties before they succumb to the cliffs, a decision Jones acknowledges as tough but necessary. This proactive stance marks a significant shift from previous efforts to resist the erosion.
The family has now pivoted their business model to a series of holiday cabins, which are designed to be mobile and can be rolled further inland as the coastline recedes. This innovative solution operates under an agreement with the local council, reflecting a pragmatic acceptance of the inevitable. Jones stated, "We've recently decided to stop fighting nature and work with it. We need to adapt to climate change because we can't change it, we have to do something positive while the land is still here so people can enjoy it."
Past attempts to protect the land proved unsuccessful. Jones's mother's cousin, Peter Boggis, faced a court order to halt his self-funded sea defence construction two decades ago. Furthermore, a government-funded relocation scheme approved in 2012 did not materialise, leaving landowners to manage the situation independently. These experiences led the family to their current strategy, which, despite its challenges, brings a sense of positive progress.
The ever-shifting landscape means constant vigilance. Cabins are kept at least 10 metres from the cliff edge, with one clifftop unit installed in 2020 already slated for relocation behind a neighbouring property, perhaps as soon as next summer. This proactive planning aims to avoid emergency situations, though it also means witnessing cherished properties, including those of neighbours, approach their inevitable demolition. The government has indicated that rising sea levels due to climate change are likely to accelerate erosion in many coastal areas, making the Jones family's adaptive strategy a potential blueprint for other affected communities.