Everything Dinosaur Issues a Warning About Dangerous Cliffs

This weekend, it is the August Bank Holiday here in the UK.  This is the last national Bank Holiday before Christmas, a sobering thought, but with lots of families heading to the beach to make the most of the summer weather, team members at Everything Dinosaur have issued a warning about dangerous cliffs on many of the UK’s coasts.

Dangerous Cliffs

Families will be visiting the seaside for lots of reasons, some might even be amateur fossil collectors, keen to find a few choice specimens before the autumn weather rolls in.  However, the exceptional hot, dry spells that much of the country has experienced over the last three months or so has left many of the cliffs overlooking beaches even more dangerous than ever.

A Recent Cliff Collapse at Happisburgh Beach on the Norfolk Coast

dangerous cliffs
Dangerous cliffs along the coast. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

 Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Sandstone and chalk cliffs are particularly vulnerable.  These cliffs have become increasingly dry over the summer and when it does rain, the water can make overlying rocks heavier and these overhangs can collapse.  The dry weather followed by sudden downpours makes cliffs very unstable and rock falls are more likely to occur.

Stay Away from the Clifftops and the Base of the Cliff

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We want everyone to have a great time if they are planning on a visit to the coast during the holiday period.  However, we would strongly advise that anybody visiting the beach at this time stays away from the cliffs and avoids the clifftops too.”

Would-be fossil hunters should take care to avoid getting to close to the base of cliffs, there are probably plenty of fossils to find further down the beach away from any potential landslips or rock falls.

It is advisable to heed warnings and to listen to advice from the local coastguard.

Instead of visiting the dangerous cliffs, visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.