Happisburgh Cliffs

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.8264, 1.5341

Also within

Norfolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Declining (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TG381312 Unfavourable Declining 6.13 2024-03-11

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Quaternary

Landscape processes: Coastal, Glacial

Description

Area, 5.9 ha. 14.5 ac. Description This locality is important both for the cliff exposures which uniquely show three glacial deposits, the Cromer Tills of Anglian age with intercalated water lain sediments and for the underlying Cromer Forest bed Formation, exposed in the foreshore, with excellent development of pre Pastonion and Pastonian sediments. An important site for dating the Pleistocene succession of East Anglia with a range of sediments from marine to freshwater and glacial, spanning five stages, from the pre Pastonian to the Anglian.