The National Trust’s parks, historic houses, buildings and gardens are opening for free for a weekend in March to give the British public a “spring bonus”.

National Trust properties will be open to the public free of charge on March 20th and 21st this year. People will also be able to park for free at all of the car parks giving  access to miles of coastline and thousands of acres of countryside.

Members of the public will be able to download a voucher from the National Trust’s website, giving them free access to sites and car parks, while existing members will be able to take advantage of a special offer over the weekend.  To download the voucher visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bonus

Source: Yorkshire Evening Post

Source: Yorkshire Post

RSPB Bempton Cliffs website

The Orfordness lighthouse has been a landmark on the Suffolk coast for over 210 years, but has now been recommended for closure following the latest five-year review by Trinity House, who manage all lighthouses around the coastlines of England, Wales and the Channel Islands.

It plans to discontinue all navigational aids at Orfordness, and instead proposes increasing the range of the Southwold lighthouse to compensate. Trinity House asserts that as navigational technology continues to advance the reliance on the traditional system of lighthouses around the coast has diminished.

Keith Seaman, the current Orfordness lighthouse keeper, said it would be a sad loss.

“Obviously there will be some objection from people used to looking at the Orford skyline and seeing what has become an iconic tower standing there. It would be a tremendous blow if it disappeared.

“For me it would be a sad loss having worked there since 1994. It has become a part of me and I have enjoyed showing visitors round. If the lighthouse goes then I will no longer be required.

“It’s inevitable that at some stage the tower will cease to exist because of severe erosion but that may now be hastened.”

The recommended closure of the lighthouse has been made somewhat inevitable by the local coastal erosion, and the lighthouse may be lost to the sea anyway within five years, unless it was moved inland or coastal defences in the immediate area were strengthened.

Objection to the proposed closure is already being sounded by members of the The Alde and Ore Association, and the Public consultation pediod will continue until January 29th 2010. Responses should be sent to Navigation Directorate, Trinity House, Tower Hill, London, EC3N 4DH (email navigation.directorate@thls.org).

Source: EADT24.

The long awaited Marine and Coastal Access Bill is set to become law. It will establish a set of marine conservation zones around the coast of England and Wales. The Bill also includes plans to create a footpath stretching along the entire coastline of England and Wales, and the creation of a government body to be named the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).

The Bill is currently in its final stages in the Lords before receiving Royal Assent and becoming law.

Critics of the Bill say the measures, which will ban fishing in certain coastal areas, will not offer enough protection to endangered marine species.

The Marine Management Organisation will be tasked with marine-related issues, such as plans for offshore wind farms, and would become a centre of marine expertise.

Source: BBC News website

After the success of last year’s Autumn Walking Weekend, the Isle of Wight Council will be repeating the event this year between 23rd and 26th October 2009. There will be over 50 walks to choose from, with a wide range of walks for all ages and abilities. The walks are led by experienced volunteers. Many of the walks are free and range from easy, level walking routes, to challenging sloping walks more suited to keen walkers and those with a good basic level of fitness.

Walks include “the Darwin Celebration” which will take place around Sandown Bay, and an “Alfred Lord Tennyson” walk exploring the landscapes that inspired the Victorian poet laureate during his time on the Island.

There are over 500 miles of well-maintained and signposted footpaths around the Isle of Wight Heritage Coastline.

See http://www.isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk/ for more details.

The cruise liner Queen Mary 2 is currently docked in Greenock (Glasgow) as part of a tour of the British coast to celebrate the 151,400 tonne ship’s fifth birthday.

A viewing area has been set up at the Ocean Terminal to allow onlookers the chance to see the enormous $800 million cruise ship. A firework display will mark the departure of the ship. The Queen Mary 2, operated by Cunard, is 147 feet longer than the Eiffel Tower (984 ft) at 1,132 feet and is currently the World’s largest ocean liner (until the 225,000 tonne Oasis of the Seas becomes operational in November 2009).

Source: UK Press Association

Great Yarmouth’s “Out There” Festival is taking place this weekend (Saturday 19th – Sunday 20th September).  Top European acts including French acrobats Les 3 Points De Suspension, Dinosaur stilt walkers from the Netherlands and Brazilian style floats will be performing at various places around the town.

UK talent including comedy duo Ronny Ronco and Kenny K-Tell aka “Cheesy Rider”, and Kings Lynn based parkour group KLFR will also be taking part.

The “Out There 2009″ festival now in it’s second year is part of a larger plan for Great Yarmouth as the town aims to build it’s reputation as one of the UK’s leading destinations for street entertainment. The festival is backed by EU funding totaling €600,000.

Focusing on the less beautiful aspects of Britain’s coastline, BBC’s Panorama will be showing a programme entitled ‘Britain’s Dirty Beaches’ on Monday night (7th September).  The programme will investigate the outflow pipes that discharge sewage and other items into our coastal areas, and will show the results of it’s own specially commissioned scientific tests.

UK viewers will be able to see the programme on BBC One, Monday 7th September at 20:30 or information about the programme is available on the BBC website.

Update 16th September 2009: The Environment Agency has responded to the Panorama program with their own short film which can be viewed below. You can also view their response to our blog post in the Comments section of this post.

Nick Hand set off on 21st June from Bristol on a charity bike ride around the UK coast and today will reach Southend after 75 days in the saddle. To sponsor Nick, and donate to the Parkinson’s Disease Society please visit his sponsor page.

The project website can be found at slowcoast.co.uk, and there is a regularly updated blog with additional detail on his trip.

The website has route maps, and interesting soundslide features which highlight artisans visited on his long journey. Well worth a look.

The Pursuits section of the FT has published a list of the best rock pools to be found on the UK shoreline. Based on Daniel Start’s book ‘Wild Swimming Coast’ it lists the best five natural rock pools for swimming and diving along the coast.

1. Blue Pool Corner (Gower, Wales)

A 12ft deep ‘tub’ with a perfect cylindrical shape. The pool stands at the east end of Blue Pool Bay, near to the sands of Rhossili. There are also the remains of a chapel on nearby Burry Holms island to explore, as well as a set of sea arches, and ancient caves that contain gold doubloons from a Portuguese wreck.

2. Dancing Ledge (Langton Matravers, Dorset)

On the spectacular stretch of coastline between Swanage and Lulworth Cove. The remains of the marble quarries provide access to a labyrinth of sea caves, inlets and plunge pools. Dancing Ledge forms a large flat seashore rock platform. The famous tidal pool was blown out with dynamite in 1906.

3. Treyarnon rock pool (North Cornwall)

Treyarnon cove is a family beach popular with surfers. To the right, on the rocks just below the youth hostel, there is a rock pool that is 30ft long and about 8ft deep in the centre.

4. Harkess rock pools (Bamburgh, Northumberland)

10 minutes to the north of the beach below the Bamburgh Castle castle ruins, you will find Harkess Rocks, where there is a string of natural plunge pools. ‘Gun Pool’ and ‘Spark Plug Pool’ are narrow channels, ‘Half Moon’ is crescent-shaped, and ‘Egg Pool’, is large, deep and oval.

5. Fingal’s Cave, Staffa (Fionnphort, Mull Scotland)

Boat trips to Staffa island and Fingal’s Cave are available from Fionnphort, Isle of Mull. The acoustics in this natural sound chamber inspired Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture. Hexagonal basalt columns rise up from the sea within the cave.

See the FT article and the Wild Swimming Coast website for full details and safety information.

Images:
Blue Pool Corner © Copyright Nigel Davies and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
Dancing Ledge © Copyright mark green and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
Treyarnon rock pools. © Jamsta. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License