Historic beauty spot needs groyne surgery

One of England's most picturesque harbours is under threat from silt carried in by the tides.

Burnham Overy Staithe in the north of Norfolk is a Mecca for sailors, artists and bird watchers and is where Horatio, Lord Nelson, learned to sail as a child.

Locals are raising money to fund for the work involved in restoring the creek. 

This will involve the restoration of the groynes which are crucial in preventing the creek from silting up, as well as important in reducing erosion of the marshes.

Burnham Overy Staithe’s salt marshes and creeks are a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to their unique biodiversity, range of ecosystems and large number of habitat specific plants.

A groyne is a rigid hydraulic structure built perpendicularly from an ocean shore or a river bank, interrupting water flow and limiting the movement of sediment.

Burnham Overy Staithe beach - reached by trekking past the sand dunes - is lauded for being secluded, sandy and beautiful.

Burnham Overy is just 1.5 kilometres from Burnham Thorpe, the birthplace of Lord Nelson. 

Various letters and documents show Nelson learned to row and sail a dinghy at Burnham Overy Staithe at the age of 10, two years before he joined the Navy. 

The village’s only pub is called “The Hero” in his honour.

Today Burnham Overy Staithe, and its the associated harbour, is a recreational sailing centre. It is also the point of departure for seasonal ferries to nearby nature reserves.