Plaque at the pathside to commemorate the lost village of Hallsands. The village was abandoned after dredging caused long term damage to the beach.
The abandoned village of Hallsands on the south Devon coast. The village was a victim to the exploitation of offshore gravel and was abandoned in 1917. The tragedy began in the 1890s when it was decided to expand the naval dockyard ay Keyham, near Plymouth. Gravel and sand were needed and dredging began offshore from Hallsands. Soon 1600 tons was being removed daily and the level of the beach began to drop. Thus began a long process of appeals by the villagers for dredging to stop An enquiry in 1900 found that dredging was unlikely to cause any problems. The villagers petitioned their MP and Kingsbridge District Council became involved. Eventually the licence was revoked and dredging stopped but too late. The beach level began to recover but storms in the winter of 1902 caused more damage. Finally on 26th January (as commemorated by the plaque) high tides, storms and easterly gales took their toll and by the end of the year only one house remained habitable. The villagers fight for compensation took 7 years. The villages has recently featured in a BBC R4 play and an opera about the village. Today tourists and walkers on the coastal path can view the remains of the village from a viewing platform and read explanatory notice boards. Visiting the ruins is prohibited.
Size: 4288px × 2848px
Location: Hallsands near kingsbridge South Hams Devon UK
Photo credit: © Brian Hartshorn / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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