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Last Glacial Maximum - c20 000 years ago
From the end of the last glacial period, about 10,000 years ago, the melting of ice caps has caused the sea level in the Bristol Channel to rise about 40 metres (131 ft). It has been at roughly its present level for the last 2,000 years but is still rising very slowly. -
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Roman Canal construction
Early canal systenms are constructed by the Romans to assist in transporting goods across difficult terrain. -
Jan 1, 1300
All rivers in Somerset are canalised
By 1300 all rivers had canal construction work associated with them. -
Suspected tsunami floods South West
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Start of major enclosures of Somerset Levels
Moorland and saltmarshes are drained in order to reclaim land from the sea for agricultural use. Low laying area that results is prone to flooding during storm events. -
Lighthouse on legs constructed at Burnham-on-sea
Built in 1832, the 'lighthouse on legs' is painted white with a single vertical red stripe on its front face and is 9m tall with a conical roof and mounted on 9 timber pilings.
It remains an active aid to navigation and is visited by many thousands of walkers every year.
Info taken from Burnham-on-sea.com -
Period: to
Major Flood Events
The Somerset coastline has experienced an incresing frequency of flood events over the last 100 years. Significant flood event years include; 1910, 1936, 1981, 1990, 1992 and 1996. Out of these events, the two most severe were in 1981 and 1996. Each of these years has a seperate event marker on the timeline containing more detail. -
Burnham seafront construction
The development of the seafront at Burnham-on-sea began in 1911 when the reinforced concrete widewalk pavement and wall were constructed. The development of the South Esplanade, from the jetty to the mouth of the Brue, took place some 20 years later in 1931. It was also in 1931 that the Marine Lake structure was completed.
Info from Burnham-on-sea.com -
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Sea defences completed
The current impressive sea wall was inaugurated on June 16, 1988 as a result of the damage done to during the huge storms of December 1981 when the town was inundated with sea water. The wall is just over one mile long and cost £7.5 million to build.
Info taken from Burnham-on-sea.com -
Porlock shingle defence breach
The landscape was altered following the storm that struck the south west UK on 4th June 1981. In particular at Porlock Weir where the shingle beach which had acted as a natural coastal defence for the low laying moorland behind it. Just ten days before the storm it was agreed that the shingle would be rebuilt. However, when the storm surge breached the shingle defence this decision was retracted. The impact and permanence of this breach can now be observed on Ordanance Survey maps of the area.
