After years of controversy, work is to start to clear Middle Beach in Studland of the old man-made sea defences, which were put in place to slow coastal erosion and protect the much loved beach cafe from collapsing into the sea.
Despite protests from local residents and national news coverage, the government’s policy of managed retreat for areas like Studland in Dorset, meant the 1990s gabions – metal baskets filled with stones – were never going to be replaced once they had started to rust away.
Once the gabions along the coastline are removed, it’s expected the sandy ledge (left) will collapse
The cliff will start to subside
Now that the cafe facility and toilets have been relocated further back to the car park, the landowner, the National Trust will start work to remove the failing gabions from Monday 8th September 2025, which means the cliff will start to subside.
It’s expected the work will last for about two months and is timed to coincide with the end of the busy summer season and the least disruptive time for the wildlife.
While this work is taking place, part of Middle Beach will remain closed, and then over the winter and into 2026, the public will be warned to stay away from the area where the gabions have been due to the risk of the cliff collapsing. However visitors will still be able to access the car park, toilets, and the Sandy Salt Pig cafe.
The National Trust’s vision for the future is to allow the area to naturally become a sandy cove once again, providing a better habitat for wildlife.
What Middle Beach is like in September 2025
This is the National Trust’s future vision for the bay
“More beach for people to enjoy”
National Trust coast and marine adviser, Sarah Coggins said:
“Holding the cliff in place with a hard structure like gabion baskets means that the shoreline is not naturally aligned with the coast. When waves hit the gabions, they bounce off and cause erosion of the sand in front of the defences. Over time, this has caused the beach to be submerged by the tide most of the time making it inaccessible.
“Removing the artificial structures will allow the beach to replenish itself using sandy material from the cliff. Over time, it’s predicted that this will result in the formation of a sandy cove, with more beach for people to enjoy.
“The effects might look extreme at first, but projections show that over the next 20 years or so the cliff will realign to become a gentler slope. This will help make the coastline more resilient to the impacts of climate change, offering more protection to the relocated facilities in the car park.”
Middle Beach cafe before it closed in January 2023
The site of Middle Beach cafe in September 2025, now that it has been cleared and any reptiles rehomed from the area
The Sandy Salt Pig now operates as the food outlet at Middle Beach
Rift in the community
The popular Middle Beach cafe, which had been operating for 70 years on the same site, closed down permanently in January 2023. It was replaced further back from the coastline with the Sandy Salt Pig cafe, which is part of The Salt Pig brand founded by local resident James Warren.
Some local residents remain bitter that more wasn’t done to save the traditional beach cafe that they had come to know and love, and feel unhappy about the rift it caused in the local community.
However, the National Trust was obliged to follow government policy and believes removing the sea defences will also enhance the habitat for wildlife.
The National Trust says increased areas of open sand will benefit insects and reptiles, including rare sand lizards and smooth snakes. Bracken and sycamore saplings nearby will also be removed as part of wider works to extend the sand dunes habitat.
At the end of October, Storm Ciarán unexpectedly washed away much of the vegetation, leaving the beach huts much closer to the sea and liable to flood
The posts to the right were previously along the edge of the dune before Storm Ciarán
Beach huts in more of a prime seafront position than anticipated!
Major coastal erosion during Storm Ciarán
During Storm Ciarán at the end of October 2023, parts of the cliff were eroded by up to four metres in a single night, leaving beach huts in danger of being washed away.
Trees were left strewn across the beach and the gabions became more unstable.
The area has been increasingly sectioned off by scaffolding poles, making the beach look unsightly.
The stone gabions will be removed, along with the concrete slipway
Debris has littered the beach as trees have fallen in towards the sea
Tracey Churcher, general manager for the National Trust in Purbeck, inherited the long standing row over the future of Middle Beach and has sought to find amenable solutions
“Preserving our natural heritage for everyone, forever”
Tracey Churcher, general manager for the National Trust in Purbeck, said:
“The appearance of Middle Beach has been upsetting for many local people and visitors since the coastal erosion started really taking its toll about five years ago.
“We’ve had to approach the project in stages, as relocating facilities and infrastructure at a vulnerable coastal location has been exceptionally complex.
“It’s a huge relief to be at the final stage of this process and to be able to remove the broken and now dangerous sea defences, to restore Middle Beach to its natural state and to enable access once more.
“It’s going to be exciting to see how nature reshapes this coastline over the next few years, creating a beautiful and resilient natural space for the local community and visitors to enjoy for generations to come.
“We realise the work may cause temporary inconvenience for visitors, but it’s a vital investment in securing the future enjoyment of Middle Beach, preserving our natural heritage for everyone, forever.”
Rangers have built artificial hibernacula – underground chambers made from stones, logs, roof tiles and vegetation – where reptiles can make a new home
Middle Beach has been closed off for safety
New routes have been constructed from Middle Beach to the car park
Further information
- More about Middle Beach
