Naomi Zwaenepoel

The Sea, The Sea

The coastline of East England is vanishing before our eyes. As cliffs crumble and roads disappear, the land carries stories of the past and the uncertainty of the future. The sea is always present

The Sea, The Sea

The East Coast of England is eroding rapidly, with global warming accelerating the natural process. For residents, the disappearing roads and crumbling cliffs are a daily reminder of the changing landscape. A woman is looking for a piece of land owned by her great-grandmother. The woman reads diary entries from 1964 describing the landscape and surroundings. A group of 13 year old students at Withernsea High School learn to investigate the landscape and their coastline in their geography class. The teacher brings the students to the beach to learn about sea defenses, clay and long shore drift. The clay cliffs crumble away every year. Lenny and Jack play with rocks near the beach. Charles takes care of the sheep on his family’s farm. Every year they move the fence back a few meters where the cliffs disappeared. The sea is always present.

The Sea, The Sea

The East Coast of England is eroding rapidly, with global warming accelerating the natural process. For residents, the disappearing roads and crumbling cliffs are a daily reminder of the changing landscape. A woman is looking for a piece of land owned by her great-grandmother. The woman reads diary entries from 1964 describing the landscape and surroundings. A group of 13 year old students at Withernsea High School learn to investigate the landscape and their coastline in their geography class. The teacher brings the students to the beach to learn about sea defenses, clay and long shore drift. The clay cliffs crumble away every year. Lenny and Jack play with rocks near the beach. Charles takes care of the sheep on his family’s farm. Every year they move the fence back a few meters where the cliffs disappeared. The sea is always present.