Eye-catching artwork to make grey flood barrier blocks more obvious for the visually impaired and to give a splash of colour to Swanage’s seafront in Dorset, is back for a second year.
The Flooding Swanage With Art trail was officially unveiled along the lower High Street on Monday 28th October 2024, fittingly in the pouring rain.
Art damaged during Storm Ciaran in 2023 has been reinstalled to illustrate the power of nature
Art trail highly commended
In November 2023, Storm Ciaran swept into Swanage and brushed aside the storm defence concrete barrier like Lego blocks, scraping the original artwork.
Now the blocks have been reconfigured to be more robust and the artwork has been reinstalled despite bearing the scars of last year’s storms.
Less of the seafront is being protected this year by the flood barrier, but in the most vulnerable area near Gee Whites, the blocks have been laid in double rows to stand up to winter gales.
The artists who created the original artwork are Lynne Dinmore, Sophie Jenkins, Jessamy Keily, Andy Knill, Gina Marshall and Tom Phillips
And the efforts made by the artists and organisers earned Swanage a highly commended certificate in the national Flood and Coast Excellence awards run by the Environment Agency.
The 2024/25 art exhibition was opened by town crier Andrew Fleming, who began with a minute’s silence in memory of those who died at Gainsborough Care Home – although sadly, relentless rain meant that very few people braved the ceremony.
Oyez, oyez – the 2024/25 Flooded With Art installation is now officially open
Sara Parker of the Dorset Coast Forum and Ziggy weren’t about to let rain dampen their spirits
“Weather won’t stop us going ahead”
Sara Parker, of Dorset Coast Forum, said:
“It was decided that we should do an opening ceremony for the second year of Flooding Swanage With Art by the new configuration of blocks which would also allow me to chat with people about the changes in flood protection for this year.
“Unfortunately, it is not the best weather and there aren’t many people around, but that won’t stop us from going ahead.
“Andy Knill’s art has moved down from Monkey Beach and he will be undertaking art walks again this autumn, and we have an outdoor classroom day in November, which was booked up fully within 24 hours.
“It will give us the opportunity to explain why the flood protection barriers have changed this year and why Lower High Street is currently closed, as well as showing the damage to art which Storm Ciaran did, how climate change is affecting us and how dangerous storms can be.”
Bringing a splash of colour to a grey day along Swanage sea front
Stepped blocks near Swanage Museum may take some getting used to
“It illustrates the power of the sea”
Sara added:
“Fingers crossed, this configuration will do the job it is needed to do – it has been tested with the high tides, but not yet with an easterly storm.
“The storm which came ashore earlier in October 2024, which was a southerly, didn’t bother us at all despite 75 miles an hour gusts at Peveril Point – there was just some splashing over the top.
“The art work from 2023 is doing well – we expect the panels on the seaward side to get a bit of a battering and that’s fine, it illustrates the power of the sea and shows the need for a permanent storm defence for Swanage for the future.
“For this winter, though, we hope that the reconfigured barrier will do its job in protecting this part of town, and that the art on it will give pleasure to a lot of people.”
Artist Andy Knill with some of his work which is this year on show near Gee Whites cafe
Swanage’s wave wall art has been highly commended by the Environment Agency
Free art walks in autumn and winter
Artist Andy Knill said:
“We have repositioned some of the art with the change in depth to the barrier, so that does mean that some will be facing the sea and we do expect it to pick up some storm damage during the winter.
“That will highlight the power of nature, as people can already see for themselves in the deep scratches left when the huge concrete blocks my art was on last year were flung across the road by the wind and the waves.
“I will be leading free art walks through autumn and winter when I can tell people about the installation, the community paintings and the need for flood prevention measures along Swanage sea front.”
Art reflecting reality – a grey day in Swanage with everyone wrapped up against the rain
The Pier Head restaurant has put up wooden barricades to protect it from storms this winter
Pier Head has barricades in place
Temporary flood barriers have been installed at The Square and by The Mowlem slipway as well as the chunkier defences by Gee Whites.
But the pavement along the seafront along Lower High Street is too narrow to accommodate even double rows of blocks, and the Environment Agency has declined to install a single row of blocks again on safety grounds.
Instead, the newly constructed Pier Head restaurant has taken its own extra precautions against the high risk of flooding and flying debris, with wooden barricades already in place.
Meanwhile the lower High Street which was closed in September 2024 at the request of Swanage Coastguard due to the risk of flying debris during stormy weather, remains closed.
Dorset Council which is responsible for the highway has not yet cleared the debris from the road.
Not everyone has noticed the new warning signs yet
Further information
- Find out more about the temporary wave barriers on the Dorset Coast Forum website
- Guided talking art walks with Andy Knill will take place from 11 am until 12 noon on Tuesday 19th November 2024, Wednesday 4th December 2024, Friday 10th January 2025 and Tuesday 4th February 2025.
