Hallsands, Devon
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Hallsands is a deserted village in south Devon, England, in a precarious position between cliffs and the sea, between Beesands to the north and Start Point to the south.
History of Hallsands
The early history is Hallsands is not known, but a chapel has existed on the site since at least 1506. The village was located at a cave known as Poke Hole and probably was not inhabited before 1600. Sisters Against the Sea, Ruth and Frank Milton, ISBN 1841144355The village grew in size during the eighteenth and nineteenth century, and it had 37 houses, a spring, a pub called the "London Inn" and a population of 159 by 1891. Most residents of Hallsands at that time depended on fishing for a living, particularly crab fishing on the nearby Skerries Bank.
Following a decision in the 1890s to expand the naval dockyard at Keyham, near Plymouth, a dredging operation took place offshore from Hallsands to provide material for construction. The Board of Trade agreed to establish a local inquiry in response to protests from villagers, who feared that the dredging might destabilise the beach, and thereby threaten the village. The inquiry found that the activity was not likely to pose a significant threat to the village, and so dredging continued.
By 1900, however, the level of the beach had started to fall. In the autumn storms that year, part of the sea wall was washed away. In November of 1900 villagers petitioned their Member of Parliament complaining of damage to their houses, and in March 1901 Kingsbridge Rural District Council wrote to the Board of Trade complaining of damage to the road. In September 1901 a new Board of Trade inspector concluded that further severe storms could cause serious damage and recommended that dredging be stopped. On January 8th 1902 the dredging licence was revoked. During 1902 the level of the beach recovered; however the winter of 1902 brought more storms and damage.
On January 26th 1917, a combination of easterly gales and exceptionally high tides breached Hallsands' defences, and by the end of that year only one house remained habitable.
Hallsands today
The site of the village is closed, although South Hams District Council has built a viewing platform, which is accessed from Trout's Apartments (formerly Trout's Hotel) in South Hallsands.
The beach at North Hallsands, known locally at the time as "Greenstraight", is the only one remaining at Hallsands as the beach beside the village no longer exists having been removed in 1917 by the storm.
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See also
External links
- [Website of author Steve Melia, giving a detailed account of the history of Hallsands]
- [BBC account of the loss of Hallsands]
References
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