View allAll Photos Tagged Waterlogging,
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the second week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed. In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river. Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again. It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage. Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway! Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days. The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water? The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
A typical sight in delhi during the rains. When it doesnt rain the humidity kills you, and when it does the city literally turns into a floating fortress. Roads, public parks everything gets flooded.
This is one such public park
TEUCHITLAN, JALISCO, MEXICO - JUNE 08: At least 90 houses were flooded, 12 vehicles were swept away, five fences fell and eight posts up after a strong waterspout struck the town of Teuchitlan, Saturday, June 8th, 2013, in central Valles of Jalisco region, Mexico. Several units of Jalisco Civil Protection from nearby towns, the State Council for Accident Prevention, Mexican Red Cross and the Mexican Army who implemented the plan DN-III arrived at the scene of the disaster to serve the population. The storm began at 19:00 and ended at 22:00 hours, its duration and intensity caused the Escondido River, near the county seat, grew and overflowed onto the streets, behind the town's main square. The water reached levels between 1.50 and 1.80 meters high, which led to waterlogging several city blocks. Authorities and residents rescued about 75 people, was looking for a person who had been reported missing and it housed 13 more. (Photo by Hugo Ortuno)
TEUCHITLAN, JALISCO, MEXICO - JUNE 08: At least 90 houses were flooded, 12 vehicles were swept away, five fences fell and eight posts up after a strong waterspout struck the town of Teuchitlan, Saturday, June 8th, 2013, in central Valles of Jalisco region, Mexico. Several units of Jalisco Civil Protection from nearby towns, the State Council for Accident Prevention, Mexican Red Cross and the Mexican Army who implemented the plan DN-III arrived at the scene of the disaster to serve the population. The storm began at 19:00 and ended at 22:00 hours, its duration and intensity caused the Escondido River, near the county seat, grew and overflowed onto the streets, behind the town's main square. The water reached levels between 1.50 and 1.80 meters high, which led to waterlogging several city blocks. Authorities and residents rescued about 75 people, was looking for a person who had been reported missing and it housed 13 more. (Photo by Hugo Ortuno)
it rained today...and i love it!
some of you might be tired of it,but the rain just relaxes me and instantly puts me in a good mood!
and i cant even describe how beautiful my city looks when it rains- even with all the mud, slush, waterlogging, traffic and everything :)
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The damp weather revealed this spider's saturated cobweb
TEUCHITLAN, JALISCO, MEXICO - JUNE 08: At least 90 houses were flooded, 12 vehicles were swept away, five fences fell and eight posts up after a strong waterspout struck the town of Teuchitlan, Saturday, June 8th, 2013, in central Valles of Jalisco region, Mexico. Several units of Jalisco Civil Protection from nearby towns, the State Council for Accident Prevention, Mexican Red Cross and the Mexican Army who implemented the plan DN-III arrived at the scene of the disaster to serve the population. The storm began at 19:00 and ended at 22:00 hours, its duration and intensity caused the Escondido River, near the county seat, grew and overflowed onto the streets, behind the town's main square. The water reached levels between 1.50 and 1.80 meters high, which led to waterlogging several city blocks. Authorities and residents rescued about 75 people, was looking for a person who had been reported missing and it housed 13 more. (Photo by Hugo Ortuno)
Introduced warm-season perennial large tufted C4 grass; stems usually have hairy nodes, grow 30-200 cm tall and arise from short rhizomes. Leaf bases may be hairy and blades are 10-60 cm long and 3-14 mm wide. Flowerheads are narrow cylindrical bristly spike-like panicles to 18 cm long. Spikelets are 2-flowered and are surrounded by uniformly coloured bristles that remain after the spikelets fall; the upper glume is 40-55% of the spikelet's length. Flowers from early summer to autumn. A native of Africa, it occurs is sown as a pasture species, especially on medium to heavy soils of high fertility; it has also become naturalised on the North West Slopes and Plains. Easy to establish on heavy clays and is tolerant of drought and temporary waterlogging. Has superior production to most other tropical grasses in its first and second year after establishment. Oxalates may affect horses and cattle. Has reasonable palatability and feed quality below about 40 cm in height, but quickly runs to head and is then avoided by stock; generally preferred by cattle rather than sheep. Graze frequently to maintain quality. Heavy grazing in late summer promotes autumn germination of winter annual legumes; however its abundance will decline under heavy continuous grazing. Sufficient soil nitrogen is essential for its persistence.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.
Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.
It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.
Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!
Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.
The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?
The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.
They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.
They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.
Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
Preserved complete and in perfect condition by waterlogging. Weighs up to 8 Roman pounds in this configuration. Turn it over and use the suspension hook for the weight, the arm shortens and its weighing capacity increases, thus it can weigh up to 30 pounds.
Waterlogging is an archaeological term for the exclusion of air from an archeological site by groundwater, preserving artifacts
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The recent surge of flood water has subsided, allowing working access to the river banks again.
However, to the unknowing eye, it seems that for every time they build a layer of soil, or an embankment, they have cause to re-work it, or strip it away later.
Introduced warm-season perennial tufted C4 grass with spreading crowns; stems are fine, hairless and to 1.5 m tall. Leaves are grey-green, 6-20 mm wide and nearly hairless. Flowerheads are subdigitate with 4-14 racemes usually in 3 whorls, about 7-17 cm long and brownish-purple when immature and brownish grey when mature. Spikelets are paired, 2-flowered, shortly-hairy and 2-4 mm long. Flowers in summer. A native of Africa, it is a sown species in the north with one variety Premier. Grows on a range of soil types, but is best suited to light-medium textured low-fertility soils. Good drought and frost tolerance, but is sensitive to waterlogging. Recruits well on light-medium textured soils. Can produce some growth in winter and commences growth in late winter-early spring, much earlier than most other tropical grasses. Very palatable, has low oxalate levels (i.e. suitable for horses) and tolerates close grazing.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.
Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.
It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.
Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!
Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.
The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?
The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.
They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.
They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.
Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.
Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.
It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.
Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!
Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.
The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?
The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.
They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.
They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.
Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The tea plant can grow between 900 and 2000 m above sea level. Because the plant can`t stand waterlogging the plantation has to be situated on a slope between 30 and 45 degrees. If you don´t cut the tea plant it would grow up to a tree of six meter height.
Munnar is a beautiful hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.
The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located.
Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, many of them started by the British. The "Kannan Devan" brand of Tea from the Tata is cultivated and processed here.
There are more than 30 tea estates in and around Munnar. Among them, most of the plantations are taken over by the Tata's Group Kannan Devan Tea Estate. Some of the major tea estates in Munnar include Harrison Malayalam, AVT Tea, Michael's tea, Brooke Bond and Tata Tea. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India.
Until 1790, Munnar and the surrounding area were forests covered, when they were first recognized by the European known as Duke of Wellington. Later in the year 1870, a subordinate of the ruler of Travancore, leased 588 sq. km of land to a Scottish tea planter named J.D. Munro, who was the lawyer in the employee of the Travancore Government. The first tea sapling was planted by A.H. Sharp at Parvathi, which is currently the part of Sevenmullay estate. Presently the whole area is covered by the mile and miles of lush tea gardens, owned by the various private companies.
For the tourists information, Munnar itself is the most popular and picturesque hill stations of Kerala, located 1600 to 1800meters above the sea level. It is popularly known as the 'Kashmir of South India'. The peaceful environment and perfect serenity makes it a famous hot spot among the tourists from all around the globe. Along with the valleys, mountain streams and tea plantations there is lot more to discover in its surrounding area.
Tourists can make a visit to the famous tea museum opened by the Tata Tea group. The museum puts light on the important fact and figures about the growth of the tea plantations in Munnar. It contains curios, old photographs, machineries and other things which have been used since long time. It provides the first hand experience to the tourists about the tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea. Some of the major items that are displayed at the museum are the original tea roller, used in earlier time around 1905, than the 'Pelton Wheel', which was used in the power generation plant in the 1920's, a rail engine wheel of the Kumdale Valley Light Railway.
Introduced warm-season perennial tufted C4 grass with spreading crowns; stems are fine, hairless and to 1.5 m tall. Leaves are grey-green, 6-20 mm wide and nearly hairless. Flowerheads are subdigitate with 4-14 racemes usually in 3 whorls, about 7-17 cm long and brownish-purple when immature and brownish grey when mature. Spikelets are paired, 2-flowered, shortly-hairy and 2-4 mm long. Flowers in summer. A native of Africa, it is a sown species in the north with one variety Premier. Grows on a range of soil types, but is best suited to light-medium textured low-fertility soils. Good drought and frost tolerance, but is sensitive to waterlogging. Recruits well on light-medium textured soils. Can produce some growth in winter and commences growth in late winter-early spring, much earlier than most other tropical grasses. Very palatable, has low oxalate levels (i.e. suitable for horses) and tolerates close grazing.
A representative soil profile of the Clifton series (Chromic Eutric Albic Luvic Stagnosols) in England. (Cranfield University 2021. The Soils Guide. Available: www.landis.org.uk. Cranfield University, UK.)
Soils classified and described by the World Reference Base for England and Wales:
www.landis.org.uk/services/soilsguide/wrb_list.cfm
Clifton soils consists of seasonally waterlogged soils developed in reddish fine loamy till and related glaciofluvial deposits. Clifton soils usually form on gently undulating terrain, but the land is deeply incised by rivers and streams in places. The soils are mainly under cereals and grass.
Mapped areas are extensive south and west of the Pennines, from south Staffordshire and Clwyd to the Scottish border. East of the Pennines it is restricted to Teesside. The till, mainly of Devensian age, is derived from Permo-Triassic sandstones and mudstones and is non-calcareous or decalcified to at least 80 cm depth. It is generally dense and slowly permeable, but contains occasional pockets of sand and gravel and, in many areas is overlain by coarse loamy glaciofluvial deposits, usually less than 70 cm thick with an irregular lower boundary. Because of the slowly permeable nature of the till, the soils are mainly typical stagnogley soils. Clifton series is developed where the overlying glaciofluvial deposits are absent or relatively thin (less than 40 cm thick) and the Claverley series, formerly classified as a deep sandy loam phase of the Clifton series, is found where this drift is thicker.
Clifton and Claverley series have slowly permeable subsoils and their upper horizons are seasonally waterlogged (Wetness Class IV). Drainage measures significantly reduce the duration of waterlogging in Clifton profiles (Wetness Class III), but have an even greater effect on Claverley soils. Like the Clifton series, Salwick soils are slowly permeable but, being on slopes, shed more water by surface run-off and their upper horizons do not stay wet for quite as long (Wetness Class III). Quorndon soils suffer from seasonal waterlogging by groundwater for most of the winter (Wetness Class III or IV). Underdrainage is very effective however and normally ensures that the soils stay well drained in all but the wettest seasons (Wetness Class I). In most of the soils, water moves laterally through the topsoil or immediate subsoil (above 40 cm depth) and, in general, they tend to shed excess winter rain.
The soils of the Clifton association are mainly under cereals and grass. Their major limitation is that of wetness but where drained, the soils produce good yields of common agricultural crops. In the Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth area, where the climate is relatively dry and topsoils are mainly coarse loamy and easily worked, potatoes and sugar beet are frequently included in the rotation.
The soils generally have a moderate cation exchange capacity and are inherently fertile. Although the parent material is often calcareous, with high percentage base saturation, soils are usually decalcified to below 1 m depth and topsoils need occasional dressings of lime. Amounts of naturally available phosphorus and potassium are small, especially in Quorndon and Claverley soils, but with regular fertilizer applications deficiencies are rare. There is normally a moderate and well balanced supply of trace elements, but manganese deficiency sometimes occurs where liming has raised the pH above neutral.
For additional information about the soil association, visit:
www.landis.org.uk/services/soilsguide/mapunit.cfm?mu=71114
For more information on the World Reference Base soil classification system, visit:
Introduced, warm-season, perennial, tussock-forming grass to 130 cm tall. Flowerheads are spikes to 30 cm long and which break up at maturity. Flowers in summer. A native of Europe and western Asia, it is found scattered in areas of low to moderate salinity; sometimes sown, but also increasingly naturalised. More common in southern areas. Has low to moderate waterlogging tolerance, but is not tolerant of waterlogging over spring and into summer. Used to rehabilitate saline sites, but is becoming an increasingly widespread weed especially in wetlands and along streams. Very productive when subsoil moisture is available or there is good summer rainfall. Provides high quality feed when vegetative and leafy, but is of poor quality when rank and flowering. Good grazing management is critical to maintain feed quality and palatability; it responds to hard grazing and added nitrogen.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
With the river bed/bank protection work partially completed, the 2nd channel was filled in, and water diverted back to it's primary route. Work continued to back-fill the riverside, building up the overall height of The Slang area.
As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
– Grand Hotel Battery –
The site of the World War II Grand Hotel Battery built around 1940, the northern gun house is located at the end of Kensington Road, during the war it was disguised as cliff top shelter. The Gun House is being used by the Council as a park shelter/store, but there are plans to turn it into an art gallery. The two coastal artillery searchlights were set into the cliff to either side, the observation and contol posts were still present at the Grand Hotel itself, now the CEFAS Building. Recent extensions work unfortunately required the removal of both posts.
Given the importance of the East Coast in general, and Lowestoft in particular, the provision of coastal artillery in this part of Suffolk was considerable. On the outbreak of war in 1939 Britain’s fixed defences were situated at the major ports (such as Felixstowe), but this situation changed out of all recognition in May 1940 when the Emergency Coastal Defence Battery (ECDB) programme greatly expanded coastal artillery. This initiative saw guns that had been taken off ships scrapped after the First World War and subsequently put into storage hurriedly brought back into service. The normal arrangement was for the guns to be placed in pairs at perceived vulnerable points along the coastline. Initially, the battery positions were often rudimentary, but in time ECDB's became miniature strong points in their own right; they were integrated into the broader anti-invasion defences and often had elaborate arrangements for their own defence.
By the end of 1941 there were some seven batteries in total in the area: three at Lowestoft (or Kent) Battery, the South Pier Battery and the Grand Hotel Battery and one each at Covehithe, Kessingland, Pakefield and Southwold. As early as March 1940 Lowestoft had been earmarked as the site for a coastal battery, but at that date the first defences had already been put in place. These comprised an antiquated pair of First World War field guns placed within sandbagged emplacements on Lowestoft Esplanade and the North Pier Extension. At the commencement of the ECDB programme in May work started on batteries at Lowestoft, Pakefield and Southwold, with Covehithe following in early June. In 1941 an additional battery was constructed at Kessingland, the site of the battery at Covehithe was moved to a better location at Easton Woods and that at Southwold was shifted northwards from its initial location on the Denes to Gun Hill.
The arrangements for coastal artillery around Lowestoft were elaborate, with each of the port’s three batteries having slightly different roles. The South Pier Battery, with two quick-firing 12-pounder guns, offered close protection for the harbour, while from 1941 the Grand Hotel Battery, with 6-inch guns, covered the main harbour entrance and the South Roads, while the Lowestoft (Kent) Battery, also with 6-inch guns, had an additional role in what was known as the ‘Examination Service’, which controlled entry to the port. This battery could immediately fire on unidentified vessels attempting to gain unauthorised entry. The southern approaches to the harbour area were protected not only by coastal guns placed in the town itself but also by the battery at Pakefield.
One purpose of the batteries was to engage enemy shipping that came within range of the coastline, which was normally 6,000 yards or less. While it was possible that major warships might present themselves as targets during a major confrontation, more likely objectives would be the shelling of smaller vessels, such as E-boats or landing craft being used during a
major raid or an invasion attempt. Defending the beaches themselves was a secondary role. That at Easton Bavents, for example, was permitted to fire on the beaches around Benacre Broad, while that at Kessingland could fire on land targets at Lowestoft Swing Bridge, the harbour area, the Claremont Pier and the railway junction. The design of each coastal battery was similar and the sites were made up of common elements, but the exact arrangement varied on the ground. Typically, the guns themselves were housed in concrete gunhouses adjacent to which were magazines from which the ammunition was brought up. Usually in close proximity was the generator building. Searchlights, used to illuminate targets, were usually placed on either side of the gunhouses. At Kessingland the searchlights were on the beach on either side of the gun positions, something that necessitated the removal of mines. Ancillary structures included crew shelters, kitchens, billets and gun stores.
In the initial stages of the ECDB programme the batteries were manned by Navy personnel as a temporary measure, while army gunners from the Royal Artillery were trained in how to use the unfamiliar equipment. Thus, at Pakefield, the battery’s two 6-inch guns were initially established by the Navy before a heavy regiment of the Royal Artillery was ready to take over in July. The Lowestoft (Kent) Battery began as 6-inch guns on concrete foundations in a gunhouse built of sandbags and was manned by Royal Marines. It subsequently developed first into two gunhouses built of steel poles and corrugated iron and then into brick gunhouses with concrete roofs. The full battery position was finally finished in December 1940.
While the Germans would be aware from their reconnaissance that ports had fixed defences, the existence of Emergency Batteries would not necessarily be known and, to further this deception, camouflage occupied an important place during the construction and operation of the batteries. The speed with which the batteries were established during 1940 meant that concealment was impossible at first, however; at Pakefield the ECDB was so obvious that one officer observed that ‘the whole layout was more conspicuous than any of the dummy batteries’). By 1941, however, camouflage had developed into something of an art form.
Photographs of the Southwold Battery on Gun Hill show the sophistication of the scheme. At Lowestoft Grand Hotel Battery the gunhouses were camouflaged by scaffolding which supported nets onto which were fixed both barbed wire and fake plants, with the passageway between the two guns given similar treatment. Camouflage also extended to deliberate deception.
Dummy positions with fake guns were built to confuse Luftwaffe observers. After the Southwold Battery had completed its move to Gun Hill the buildings on the former site were used by training troops in a deliberate attempt to convince German reconnaissance that it was still active. Where their locations were known, the ECDB's were regular targets for the Luftwaffe. An aerial photograph of Southwold battery in 1941 shows a bomb crater close to the battery position and Pakefield ECDB was bombed twice in 1940, resulting in the death of a subaltern. Together with the threat of attack, the placing of such large fortifications on the cliffs or close to the beaches posed further risk. The Southwold Battery was moved from its initial location on the low-lying area of the Denes, to the south of the town, up to the high point of Gun Hill in part because of the risk of inundation by the sea. At Covehithe the risk of the battery falling off the cliff was the main reason for its move to Eastern Woods.
At Kessingland one of the searchlights collapsed at the end of December 1942 during the high tide, while, similarly, at Lowestoft Battery the high tides and strong winds at the end of December put one of the searchlights out of action. The same high tide in December 1942 was responsible for the fact that one of the searchlights for Pakefield Battery was out of action the following January; this light was subsequently moved from the beach to the adjacent cliff top. Shortly afterwards, in February 1943, one of the searchlights at Lowestoft South Battery was temporarily rendered unusable as heavy seas had resulted in waterlogging.
Information sourced from – A GUIDE TO SECOND WORLD WAR ARCHAEOLOGY IN SUFFOLK.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
Work along this stretch of the river bank involves an amount of manual, back-breaking work.
TEUCHITLAN, JALISCO, MEXICO - JUNE 08: At least 90 houses were flooded, 12 vehicles were swept away, five fences fell and eight posts up after a strong waterspout struck the town of Teuchitlan, Saturday, June 8th, 2013, in central Valles of Jalisco region, Mexico. Several units of Jalisco Civil Protection from nearby towns, the State Council for Accident Prevention, Mexican Red Cross and the Mexican Army who implemented the plan DN-III arrived at the scene of the disaster to serve the population. The storm began at 19:00 and ended at 22:00 hours, its duration and intensity caused the Escondido River, near the county seat, grew and overflowed onto the streets, behind the town's main square. The water reached levels between 1.50 and 1.80 meters high, which led to waterlogging several city blocks. Authorities and residents rescued about 75 people, was looking for a person who had been reported missing and it housed 13 more. (Photo by Hugo Ortuno)
Daves Creek Near Binna Burra in Lamington NP SE QLD Australia contains a large area of montane heath. The low nutrient Rhyolite Acid volcanic soils from the Mt Warning Volcano Lavas form poor rocky clay soils that reduce tree growth so that mountain heath species and mallee eucalypts can thrive.
Here the heath is viewed from above late in the afternoon once direct sun has gone off the plateau. The subtle colors and tones show different species that dominate each zone of the heath according to waterlogging and soil depth. The rare Mallee Eucalyptus codonocarpa (E. microcodon) forms stands at the top right while Allocasuarina rigida dominates much of the mid ground along with scattered rare dwarf mountain cypress Callitris monticola. In the certer of frame is a swampy area with Baeckia linifolia and Banksia collina, the Vulnerable Banksia conferta is also found here along with many sedges including the rare Gahnia insignis.
The Daves Creek Midge Orchid Genoplesium sigmoideum can be found nowher else on earth and grows with two other rare montane ground orchids Pterostylis bicornis and Corybas montana.
TEUCHITLAN, JALISCO, MEXICO - JUNE 08: At least 90 houses were flooded, 12 vehicles were swept away, five fences fell and eight posts up after a strong waterspout struck the town of Teuchitlan, Saturday, June 8th, 2013, in central Valles of Jalisco region, Mexico. Several units of Jalisco Civil Protection from nearby towns, the State Council for Accident Prevention, Mexican Red Cross and the Mexican Army who implemented the plan DN-III arrived at the scene of the disaster to serve the population. The storm began at 19:00 and ended at 22:00 hours, its duration and intensity caused the Escondido River, near the county seat, grew and overflowed onto the streets, behind the town's main square. The water reached levels between 1.50 and 1.80 meters high, which led to waterlogging several city blocks. Authorities and residents rescued about 75 people, was looking for a person who had been reported missing and it housed 13 more. (Photo by Hugo Ortuno)
Introduced, warm-season, perennial, tussock-forming grass to 130 cm tall. Flowerheads are spikes to 30 cm long and which break up at maturity. Flowers in summer. A native of Europe and western Asia, it is found scattered in areas of low to moderate salinity; sometimes sown, but also increasingly naturalised. More common in southern areas. Has low to moderate waterlogging tolerance, but is not tolerant of waterlogging over spring and into summer. Used to rehabilitate saline sites, but is becoming an increasingly widespread weed especially in wetlands and along streams. Very productive when subsoil moisture is available or there is good summer rainfall. Provides high quality feed when vegetative and leafy, but is of poor quality when rank and flowering. Good grazing management is critical to maintain feed quality and palatability; it responds to hard grazing and added nitrogen.
TEUCHITLAN, JALISCO, MEXICO - JUNE 08: At least 90 houses were flooded, 12 vehicles were swept away, five fences fell and eight posts up after a strong waterspout struck the town of Teuchitlan, Saturday, June 8th, 2013, in central Valles of Jalisco region, Mexico. Several units of Jalisco Civil Protection from nearby towns, the State Council for Accident Prevention, Mexican Red Cross and the Mexican Army who implemented the plan DN-III arrived at the scene of the disaster to serve the population. The storm began at 19:00 and ended at 22:00 hours, its duration and intensity caused the Escondido River, near the county seat, grew and overflowed onto the streets, behind the town's main square. The water reached levels between 1.50 and 1.80 meters high, which led to waterlogging several city blocks. Authorities and residents rescued about 75 people, was looking for a person who had been reported missing and it housed 13 more. (Photo by Hugo Ortuno)
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.
Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.
It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.
Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!
Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.
The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?
The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.
They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.
They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.
Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
Introduced, warm-season, perennial, tussock-forming grass to 130 cm tall. Flowerheads are spikes to 30 cm long and which break up at maturity. Flowers in summer. A native of Europe and western Asia, it is found scattered in areas of low to moderate salinity; sometimes sown, but also increasingly naturalised. More common in southern areas. Has low to moderate waterlogging tolerance, but is not tolerant of waterlogging over spring and into summer. Used to rehabilitate saline sites, but is becoming an increasingly widespread weed especially in wetlands and along streams. Very productive when subsoil moisture is available or there is good summer rainfall. Provides high quality feed when vegetative and leafy, but is of poor quality when rank and flowering. Good grazing management is critical to maintain feed quality and palatability; it responds to hard grazing and added nitrogen.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.
Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.
It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.
Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!
Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.
The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?
The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.
They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.
They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.
Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
Introduced, warm-season, perennial, tussock-forming grass to 130 cm tall. Flowerheads are spikes to 30 cm long and which break up at maturity. Flowers in summer. A native of Europe and western Asia, it is found scattered in areas of low to moderate salinity; sometimes sown, but also increasingly naturalised. More common in southern areas. Has low to moderate waterlogging tolerance, but is not tolerant of waterlogging over spring and into summer. Used to rehabilitate saline sites, but is becoming an increasingly widespread weed especially in wetlands and along streams. Very productive when subsoil moisture is available or there is good summer rainfall. Provides high quality feed when vegetative and leafy, but is of poor quality when rank and flowering. Good grazing management is critical to maintain feed quality and palatability; it responds to hard grazing and added nitrogen.
TEUCHITLAN, JALISCO, MEXICO - JUNE 08: At least 90 houses were flooded, 12 vehicles were swept away, five fences fell and eight posts up after a strong waterspout struck the town of Teuchitlan, Saturday, June 8th, 2013, in central Valles of Jalisco region, Mexico. Several units of Jalisco Civil Protection from nearby towns, the State Council for Accident Prevention, Mexican Red Cross and the Mexican Army who implemented the plan DN-III arrived at the scene of the disaster to serve the population. The storm began at 19:00 and ended at 22:00 hours, its duration and intensity caused the Escondido River, near the county seat, grew and overflowed onto the streets, behind the town's main square. The water reached levels between 1.50 and 1.80 meters high, which led to waterlogging several city blocks. Authorities and residents rescued about 75 people, was looking for a person who had been reported missing and it housed 13 more. (Photo by Hugo Ortuno)
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The recent surge of flood water has subsided, allowing working access to the river banks again.
However, to the unknowing eye, it seems that for every time they build a layer of soil, or an embankment, they have cause to re-work it, or strip it away later.
The tea plant can grow between 900 and 2000 m above sea level. Because the plant can`t stand waterlogging the plantation has to be situated on a slope between 30 and 45 degrees. If you don´t cut the tea plant it would grow up to a tree of six meter height.
Munnar is a beautiful hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.
The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located.
Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, many of them started by the British. The "Kannan Devan" brand of Tea from the Tata is cultivated and processed here.
There are more than 30 tea estates in and around Munnar. Among them, most of the plantations are taken over by the Tata's Group Kannan Devan Tea Estate. Some of the major tea estates in Munnar include Harrison Malayalam, AVT Tea, Michael's tea, Brooke Bond and Tata Tea. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India.
Until 1790, Munnar and the surrounding area were forests covered, when they were first recognized by the European known as Duke of Wellington. Later in the year 1870, a subordinate of the ruler of Travancore, leased 588 sq. km of land to a Scottish tea planter named J.D. Munro, who was the lawyer in the employee of the Travancore Government. The first tea sapling was planted by A.H. Sharp at Parvathi, which is currently the part of Sevenmullay estate. Presently the whole area is covered by the mile and miles of lush tea gardens, owned by the various private companies.
For the tourists information, Munnar itself is the most popular and picturesque hill stations of Kerala, located 1600 to 1800meters above the sea level. It is popularly known as the 'Kashmir of South India'. The peaceful environment and perfect serenity makes it a famous hot spot among the tourists from all around the globe. Along with the valleys, mountain streams and tea plantations there is lot more to discover in its surrounding area.
Tourists can make a visit to the famous tea museum opened by the Tata Tea group. The museum puts light on the important fact and figures about the growth of the tea plantations in Munnar. It contains curios, old photographs, machineries and other things which have been used since long time. It provides the first hand experience to the tourists about the tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea. Some of the major items that are displayed at the museum are the original tea roller, used in earlier time around 1905, than the 'Pelton Wheel', which was used in the power generation plant in the 1920's, a rail engine wheel of the Kumdale Valley Light Railway.
183,241 items / 1,447,505 views
wherever she is
cool and comfortable
my existence
she feigns
in the inundated
waters of
my washed
sand castle
she reigns
she is cruel
heartless
holding
me like a dog
by her
cosmic chain
she has
incidentally
accidentally
caused me
the maximum pain
a beggar poet
lover of humanity
follower of hussain
you will see her
image embedded
in my soul
my sucked heart
my fucked brain
she whispers
uff ab to ap
chup rahein
ham par
jo guzri ham
kaise kahen
ap jahan bhi hain
sada khush
rahein
gutter ke pani
main chup
chap bahein
apna gham ap
khud hi sahen
pathanon
ke dil pathar
hote hain
meri
khamoshi
ko jan lein
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
Work along this stretch of the river bank involves an amount of manual, back-breaking work.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The recent surge of flood water has subsided, allowing working access to the river banks again.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
With the river bed/bank protection work partially completed, the 2nd channel was filled in, and water diverted back to it's primary route. Work continued to back-fill the riverside, building up the overall height of The Slang area.
As we can see, one or two day's intense rain could produce rapid flooding of channels, swamping on-going works, and causing temporary vehicle access paths to have to be repaired. And these access ramps were proving difficult to navigate for the fully-laden dumpers/trucks. One hell of a wet and messy place to be working, especially for the guys on foot.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.
Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.
It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.
Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!
Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.
The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?
The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.
They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.
They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.
Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
Introduced, cool-season, annual, hairless, semi-erect
legume, with thick hollow stems. Leaves have 3 obovate leaflets, each strongly veined, toothed and on stalks of equal length. Flowerheads are ball-shaped clusters of many pink to violet pea-like flowers. Flowering is in spring and early summer. A native of Europe, the Mediterranean and SW Asia, it is sown as an annual fodder. Best suited to clay soils with a pH(Ca) between 5 and 8 and is tolerant of moderate salinity. Requires a medium-high winter rainfall or irrigation and is tolerant of waterlogging. An alternative to Berseem Clover, it provides both a high potential nitrogen input to soils and high quality cool-season feed. Can produce high forage yields with good regrowth potential after cutting, but needs irrigation or good spring rains to maximise late spring growth. Soft seeded, so requires annual sowing. Causes bloat in cattle; sometimes photosensitisation. Make hay/silage in spring.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The recent surge of flood water has subsided, allowing working access to the river banks again.
Introduced cool-season annual herbaceous C3 legume forming dense swards. Stems are semi-erect to erect, branched and to 50 cm tall. Leaves have 3 leaflets; leaflets are hairless, 1-2 cm long, rounded becoming more elongated with age; margins are finely toothed and contain glands. Stipules are green. Flowerheads are many-flowered rounded heads. Flowers are pea-shaped with light to dark pink petals. Fruits are 2-3-seeded pods. Flowers in spring and early summer. A native of Eurasia, it is sown for hay and grazing on neutral to mildly acid soils. Best suited to 375-600 mm regions with a cool-season rainfall dominance, little summer rainfall and only light frosts. A moderately palatable high-quality forage with a growth pattern similar to early maturing Subterranean Clovers, but not as productive as Serradella and Biserrula. Resistant to red-legged earth mites, aphids and scorch, moderately tolerant to waterlogging and has low coumarin levels. Compatible with other temperate legumes, but susceptible to competition during establishment. Has excellent regeneration, as it has high levels of hard seed and seed yields. Can be grazed heavily in winter, but there is a need to restrict grazing during flowering, especially in the first year, to allow it to set large amounts of seed.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The recent surge of flood water has subsided, allowing working access to the river banks again.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
Another heavy fall of rain, causing a surge in the river flow, swamping (yet again!) river bank protection work already in progress.
– South Pier Battery –
The site of World War II South Pier Coastal Battery, built by 1941 it operated as an Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat Battery and was armed with two 12-pounder quick-firing guns. It is referenced as being manned by 215 Battery of 544 Coast Regiment until 1942, then by 215 Battery of 544 Coast Regiment until February 1945. The site had undergone many dockside developments, this concrete weapons mount is possibly one of the pair for mounting a 12-pounder Quick Firing Gun.
Given the importance of the East Coast in general, and Lowestoft in particular, the provision of coastal artillery in this part of Suffolk was considerable. On the outbreak of war in 1939 Britain’s fixed defences were situated at the major ports (such as Felixstowe), but this situation changed out of all recognition in May 1940 when the Emergency Coastal Defence Battery (ECDB) programme greatly expanded coastal artillery. This initiative saw guns that had been taken off ships scrapped after the First World War and subsequently put into storage hurriedly brought back into service. The normal arrangement was for the guns to be placed in pairs at perceived vulnerable points along the coastline. Initially, the battery positions were often rudimentary, but in time ECDB's became miniature strong points in their own right; they were integrated into the broader anti-invasion defences and often had elaborate arrangements for their own defence.
By the end of 1941 there were some seven batteries in total in the area: three at Lowestoft (or Kent) Battery, the South Pier Battery and the Grand Hotel Battery and one each at Covehithe, Kessingland, Pakefield and Southwold. As early as March 1940 Lowestoft had been earmarked as the site for a coastal battery, but at that date the first defences had already been put in place. These comprised an antiquated pair of First World War field guns placed within sandbagged emplacements on Lowestoft Esplanade and the North Pier Extension. At the commencement of the ECDB programme in May work started on batteries at Lowestoft, Pakefield and Southwold, with Covehithe following in early June. In 1941 an additional battery was constructed at Kessingland, the site of the battery at Covehithe was moved to a better location at Easton Woods and that at Southwold was shifted northwards from its initial location on the Denes to Gun Hill.
The arrangements for coastal artillery around Lowestoft were elaborate, with each of the port’s three batteries having slightly different roles. The South Pier Battery, with two quick-firing 12-pounder guns, offered close protection for the harbour, while from 1941 the Grand Hotel Battery, with 6-inch guns, covered the main harbour entrance and the South Roads, while the Lowestoft (Kent) Battery, also with 6-inch guns, had an additional role in what was known as the ‘Examination Service’, which controlled entry to the port. This battery could immediately fire on unidentified vessels attempting to gain unauthorised entry. The southern approaches to the harbour area were protected not only by coastal guns placed in the town itself but also by the battery at Pakefield.
One purpose of the batteries was to engage enemy shipping that came within range of the coastline, which was normally 6,000 yards or less. While it was possible that major warships might present themselves as targets during a major confrontation, more likely objectives would be the shelling of smaller vessels, such as E-boats or landing craft being used during a
major raid or an invasion attempt. Defending the beaches themselves was a secondary role. That at Easton Bavents, for example, was permitted to fire on the beaches around Benacre Broad, while that at Kessingland could fire on land targets at Lowestoft Swing Bridge, the harbour area, the Claremont Pier and the railway junction. The design of each coastal battery was similar and the sites were made up of common elements, but the exact arrangement varied on the ground. Typically, the guns themselves were housed in concrete gunhouses adjacent to which were magazines from which the ammunition was brought up. Usually in close proximity was the generator building. Searchlights, used to illuminate targets, were usually placed on either side of the gunhouses. At Kessingland the searchlights were on the beach on either side of the gun positions, something that necessitated the removal of mines. Ancillary structures included crew shelters, kitchens, billets and gun stores.
In the initial stages of the ECDB programme the batteries were manned by Navy personnel as a temporary measure, while army gunners from the Royal Artillery were trained in how to use the unfamiliar equipment. Thus, at Pakefield, the battery’s two 6-inch guns were initially established by the Navy before a heavy regiment of the Royal Artillery was ready to take over in July. The Lowestoft (Kent) Battery began as 6-inch guns on concrete foundations in a gunhouse built of sandbags and was manned by Royal Marines. It subsequently developed first into two gunhouses built of steel poles and corrugated iron and then into brick gunhouses with concrete roofs. The full battery position was finally finished in December 1940.
While the Germans would be aware from their reconnaissance that ports had fixed defences, the existence of Emergency Batteries would not necessarily be known and, to further this deception, camouflage occupied an important place during the construction and operation of the batteries. The speed with which the batteries were established during 1940 meant that concealment was impossible at first, however; at Pakefield the ECDB was so obvious that one officer observed that ‘the whole layout was more conspicuous than any of the dummy batteries’). By 1941, however, camouflage had developed into something of an art form.
Photographs of the Southwold Battery on Gun Hill show the sophistication of the scheme. At Lowestoft Grand Hotel Battery the gunhouses were camouflaged by scaffolding which supported nets onto which were fixed both barbed wire and fake plants, with the passageway
between the two guns given similar treatment. Camouflage also extended to deliberate deception.
Dummy positions with fake guns were built to confuse Luftwaffe observers. After the Southwold Battery had completed its move to Gun Hill the buildings on the former site were used by training troops in a deliberate attempt to convince German reconnaissance that it was still active. Where their locations were known, the ECDB's were regular targets for the Luftwaffe. An aerial photograph of Southwold battery in 1941 shows a bomb crater close to the battery position and Pakefield ECDB was bombed twice in 1940, resulting in the death of a subaltern. Together with the threat of attack, the placing of such large fortifications on the cliffs or close to the beaches posed further risk. The Southwold Battery was moved from its initial location on the low-lying area of the Denes, to the south of the town, up to the high point of Gun Hill in part because of the risk of inundation by the sea. At Covehithe the risk of the battery falling off the cliff was the main reason for its move to Eastern Woods.
At Kessingland one of the searchlights collapsed at the end of December 1942 during the high tide, while, similarly, at Lowestoft Battery the high tides and strong winds at the end of December put one of the searchlights out of action. The same high tide in December 1942 was responsible for the fact that one of the searchlights for Pakefield Battery was out of action the following January; this light was subsequently moved from the beach to the adjacent cliff top. Shortly afterwards, in February 1943, one of the searchlights at Lowestoft South Battery was temporarily rendered unusable as heavy seas had resulted in waterlogging.
Information sourced from – A GUIDE TO SECOND WORLD WAR ARCHAEOLOGY IN SUFFOLK.
Introduced, yearlong-green, perennial, densely tufted grass to 1.5 m tall. A native of Europe, it is sown in pastures and naturalised along roadsides mostly in the south and at higher elevations in the north. Tolerant of acid soils (to pHCaCl2 4), high exchangeable aluminium and low fertility and is often sown in these areas. Not tolerant of waterlogging, but moderately drought tolerant. Productive, but marginally lower quality than either phalaris or fescue. More tolerant of acid, lower fertility situations than other temperate sown grasses, but also responds to fertiliser.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of October 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces. They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank. They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them. Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
Work along this stretch of the river bank involves an amount of manual, back-breaking work.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the third week of September 2012, tracking the on-going river bank alterations and excavation of the river bed.
In preparation for the river-bank strengthening/protection along this stretch of the river, a 2nd channel was created -- with the intention of diverting the river.
Having endured a similar flooding only days earlier, another heavy fall of rain caused the channels to fill up again.
It meant starting all over again - draining this road/bank side channel, cutting a release channel near the bridge to release the volume, and activating pumps to assist with the repeated drainage.
Matters were never helped by the overflow pipe which siphoned run-off from the adjacent motorway!
Always quite amazing to see how water levels could drain away within a few days.
The question would always be -- how much work could be completed before the (inevitable) next run of water?
The following sequences show how the guys reinforced the river bed/bank: spreading out, and stitching in a membrane, layout out wire creels, filled with medium sized stones, welded shut, and laid out in grids, particularly the sections alongside the road/bank side.
Gabions consist of steel ‘baskets’ filled with rock pieces.
They are filled and then fixed together to provide protection and strength to the existing river bank.
They allow ground water to flow through them which helps prevent waterlogging of the bank behind them.
Existing examples of these can be seen (here) on the North bank to the rear of the La Vallee Apartments.
Long shallow versions of gabions, known as ‘mattresses’, are used to protect the edges of the river channel, particularly at bends in the river.
The tea plant can grow between 900 and 2000 m above sea level. Because the plant can`t stand waterlogging the plantation has to be situated on a slope between 30 and 45 degrees. If you don´t cut the tea plant it would grow up to a tree of six meter height.
Munnar is a beautiful hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.
The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located.
Munnar is famous for its tea plantations, many of them started by the British. The "Kannan Devan" brand of Tea from the Tata is cultivated and processed here.
There are more than 30 tea estates in and around Munnar. Among them, most of the plantations are taken over by the Tata's Group Kannan Devan Tea Estate. Some of the major tea estates in Munnar include Harrison Malayalam, AVT Tea, Michael's tea, Brooke Bond and Tata Tea. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India.
Until 1790, Munnar and the surrounding area were forests covered, when they were first recognized by the European known as Duke of Wellington. Later in the year 1870, a subordinate of the ruler of Travancore, leased 588 sq. km of land to a Scottish tea planter named J.D. Munro, who was the lawyer in the employee of the Travancore Government. The first tea sapling was planted by A.H. Sharp at Parvathi, which is currently the part of Sevenmullay estate. Presently the whole area is covered by the mile and miles of lush tea gardens, owned by the various private companies.
For the tourists information, Munnar itself is the most popular and picturesque hill stations of Kerala, located 1600 to 1800meters above the sea level. It is popularly known as the 'Kashmir of South India'. The peaceful environment and perfect serenity makes it a famous hot spot among the tourists from all around the globe. Along with the valleys, mountain streams and tea plantations there is lot more to discover in its surrounding area.
Tourists can make a visit to the famous tea museum opened by the Tata Tea group. The museum puts light on the important fact and figures about the growth of the tea plantations in Munnar. It contains curios, old photographs, machineries and other things which have been used since long time. It provides the first hand experience to the tourists about the tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea. Some of the major items that are displayed at the museum are the original tea roller, used in earlier time around 1905, than the 'Pelton Wheel', which was used in the power generation plant in the 1920's, a rail engine wheel of the Kumdale Valley Light Railway.