CoastView - Black Rock, Kemp Town (Brighton Marina)

This photograph taken in about 1909 looks eastwards from Black Rock to beyond Roedean School (skyline, mid distance). Despite the presence of a seawall at Black Rock the cliff has recently fallen, endangering the three buildings on top (the middle one is the Abergavenny Arms) and also the main coast road in front of the buildings, which is somewhat hidden from view. The coast road had to be diverted behind the buildings, which were later demolished.
Continuing erosion of the sea cliffs east of Black Rock caused increasing concern in the years following the First World War. In 1930 Brighton Corporation began building a massive sea wall at the base of the cliffs all the way to Rottingdean. An undercliff walkway or promenade was constructed on top. Unemployed Welsh miners were lowered on ropes over the cliffs to trim the faces back to a supposedly safe angle of 75 degrees. The sea wall was completed and the walkway opened in 1933. An extension to Saltdean followed in 1935.
In the 1960s proposals were put forward to build a Marina and harbour immediately to the east of Black Rock. Years of negotiation with landowners and the planning authorities followed. Construction of the Marina began in the 1970s. It cost £41 million, far more than originally estimated, and was opened by the Queen in May 1979 (To see what the Marina looked like in 1978 see a photo taken by kind permission from Newhaven Museum). This photograph shows the Marina approach road in July 2002. Roedean School can be seen in mid distance on the skyline. Taken from almost the same vantage point as the first photograph.

	This photograph was taken in about 1911 and looks westwards, towards Black Rock. Note that there is very little sand or shingle on the beach, which is mainly composed of chalk debris from the cliff. The scarcity of shingle is probably due to the construction of the massive groyne at Black Rock, which has interrupted the longshore drift of beach material from the west. The crack at the top of the cliff in the foreground is a sign that another cliff fall is imminent.
	Looking west to Black Rock after completion of the open-air swimming pool in 1936 (mid distance; see an air photograph of Black Rock with the swimming pool). The Abergavenny Arms has been demolished. The new groynes have trapped only limited amounts of beach material.
	Not quite the same perspective because parts of the cliff top are now fenced off, but this image taken in July 2002 illustrates the changes that have occurred. The only recognisable featuren in this image and the one from the late 1930s is the white fivestory building that is almost completely obscured by the modern brownish building.