Rob Braddick, owner of Pier View and Braddick Holiday Park in Westward Ho!, North Devon, invests £300,000 in a robust sea wall to safeguard his cliffside restaurant from relentless coastal erosion. The council declined to provide funding, despite a public footpath running alongside the site.
Erosion Threatens Family Legacy
The restaurant, perched on the cliff edge since 1947, marks the fifth generation of Braddick’s family stewardship. Recent storms have accelerated cliff collapse, washing away a significant portion of the car park two years ago and flooding the underlying arcade with seawater in 2014 and beyond.
Braddick, 54, recalls the pivotal moment: “It just made me sit up and think this is going to be interesting. If we lost a bit more it would become extremely hard to repair the first bit.” He adds, “I took a deep breath and grasped the nettle to start the process of repairing and putting a new wall in so we could be protected.”
Construction of a Lasting Defense
Halfway through the project, Braddick explains the challenges in the struggling hospitality sector: “The hospitality sector is struggling a lot at the moment and it is not the best time to be chucking money over a cliff edge. But it’s erosion of the car park which will eventually be the erosion of the restaurant and bar.”
Securing planning permission took two years, involving approvals from Torridge District Council, Natural England, and the Environment Agency. Opting for durability, Braddick chose pre-cast concrete blocks mimicking natural stone. “The concrete is pre-cast and looks like a stone wall from a distance. There are 57 of them made and they cost around £1200 each. We had them painted buffalo brown so when they sit against the cliff it almost blends in with the natural cliff.”
Workers lower the 187ft-long blocks via crane, drilling each four meters into the rock and interlinking them. Completion is expected in eight weeks, ensuring protection for the next century.
Future Security and Broader Commitments
Braddick anticipates severe risks within five years without action: “I think in the next five years we might have been in trouble. If we did lose the car park there would be nothing to work from to repair it. We just needed to do it sooner rather than later. This should guarantee it for the next 100 years. Hopefully my kids will take it on and we are protecting it for the next generation.”
He also owns local venues like The Fairway Buoy, Crabby Dicks, The Waterfront Inn, and Seafield House. Ten years ago, he assumed the Seafield car park lease from Torridge District Council, making it free for public use.
Reflecting on the effort, Braddick states: “One day I’ll be able to stand here and know that we protected it for the next generation – and that will be worth the money.”
Council Position
A spokesman for Torridge District Council clarifies: “Torridge District Council are not involved in any defence schemes on private land in Westward Ho!. The council have been working with our partner agencies on the main linear defence scheme for the centre of Westward Ho!, a significant investment required to protect this public part of the village.”
The Environment Agency and Natural England were approached for comment.
