Hanging By A Thread: Homes In Yorkshire An Inch Away From Falling Into The Sea

Right now, because of recent storms, thousands of tonnes of earth have literally melted away into the sea forcing dozens of homes along the precarious Yorkshire coast, hanging on the edge of a cliff

Since the UK coast has changed considerably over the last few hundred years, we don't actually notice it until people are faced with either being dumped in the sea with their house or move away and fast. Recent high winds and bad storms which have battered the English coast line over the last couple for weeks now mean that theses houses could tumble dozens of metres below into the sea, crashing into rocks at any moment. The houses at strangely named Knipe Point, which are dotted along the cliffs have already seen their gardens and patios fall dangerously into the sea below, and now, as it seems that the sea is eating the land alive, the houses are next on the menu. The dangerous coastline runs between the pretty Victorian sea resorts of Scarborough and Filey. Anyone who has ever walked along this coast line will know not only how beautiful it is but how dangerous also. The houses are approximately 100ft up from the rocks and the crashing sea below, but it won't be long before the houses will soon join the waves. Surprisingly only one family has been told to move out - others are staying put until further instruction from their insurance companies. We would think that the wake up call would have been when they last saw their garden furniture flying down into the depths below. The main reason for the landslide has been due to the impact of the waves crashing constantly against the cliffs. Since Yorkshire sits out into the North Sea, there is never a letup in the strength of the waves, everyday is as fierce as the one before. Speaking on behalf of the Resident's Association for the area, Mr Michael Turner, told BBC News, "People are very worried because at the moment they don't know what's going to happen, whether there will be any more slippage. One family has been told to move out by their insurance company. We're just waiting for the results of investigations into what caused the land slip, but at the moment we're in limbo." The coastline, is, laughingly, protected, by the National Trust, who are like an authority over certain areas of land, ancient houses and castles which need money to keep them going. The Trust opens a lot of these places to the public and charges them for viewing them. Property Manager for the Trust, Bob Dicker said of the plight of the coastline at Knipe Point, "We know that this land is slipping, we know it's very active at the present time, but to put a scale on it at this stage would be unwise. We don't have enough information. What we're finding out, in some respects it's very obvious, we're finding out it is a land slip and we should be very careful to remember that - it isn't coastal erosion. The land slip itself is caused by water for the most part, there may be other causative agents, but mainly water. " Yet the Trust are not sure where the water which caused the landslide is coming from (?) The waves do a lot of damage to the cliffs, yet this landslide seems to have happened from underneath the houses meaning there is an excess of water actually in the land. "What we don't know is where is the water coming from and what sources there are in the immediate area. Prior to (fits and starts of slips that have happened in the past) that it had been very stable, if I can use that word, for quite some time. But it would be very foolish of me or anybody else to predict at the present time just what will happen either today or in ten years time. We do hope to have more information fairly soon." Until then the houses which are being held at Knipe Point, will remain so and when they do fall, which they will, let's hope no one is in them...