This pile of rubbish is all that remains of Britain’s oldest beach cafe after it was controversially destroyed as part of the National Trust’s Managed Retreat coastal erosion campaign.
All that remains of the historic wooden building that stood for more than a century in Middle Beach, Studland, Dorset, is a brick wall and a gaping empty space.
The once picturesque location is said to have been visited by children’s author Enid Blyton, who often holidayed in a nearby hotel.
Thousands of walkers and dog walkers also enjoyed stopping at the cafe for a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich while enjoying the spectacular sea views.
But the cafe was demolished earlier this year after the National Trust insisted it was at risk of coastal erosion.
Instead of strengthening the seawall to secure the cafe, the conservation organization decided to remove it entirely.
All that remains of the historic wooden building that stood for over a century in Middle Beach, Studland, Dorset, is a brick wall and a gaping empty room (left is before, right is after).
Andrew Parsons, a local resident who fought to save the cafe, watched the cafe being destroyed
The resistance to demolition was overwhelming. Local residents said the cafe was not needed as it was located 30 meters behind the beach and 6 meters above the shore.
Studland Council made a last ditch effort to get the building listed, but without success.
Located in the heart of an area of outstanding natural beauty, the site is now completely vacant and fenced off.
Since then, a temporary mobile catering van has opened further down the road in a car park in Middle Beach, donated to the National Trust by a local landowner in 1982.
Andrew Parsons, a Studland resident and former local councilor who campaigned to save the pub, said: “It’s just a pointless exercise in vandalism.” The terrace is still there but they demolished a historic building.
“The National Trust has to preserve valuable buildings, and people pay their contributions for that.”
“Instead they destroyed one, and there is no geological or environmental justification for that.”
“This is nonsense and it would have cost a lot of money to achieve a very negative result.”
“What are they going to destroy now, under the pretext of giving something back to nature?” It’s all scandalous.’
The once picturesque location is said to have been visited by children’s author Enid Blyton, who often holidayed in a nearby hotel. In the photo: before it was taken apart
Located in the heart of an area of outstanding natural beauty, the site is now completely vacant and fenced off
In 2004, the National Trust announced that its strategy to combat coastal erosion was to “act against, not against, sea level rise”, including moving buildings out of the way.
They plan to build a permanent cafe further inland in Middle Beach, but have not yet announced where or when it will be
In 2004, the National Trust announced that its strategy to combat coastal erosion was to “act against, not against, rising sea levels”, which included moving buildings out of the way.
They plan to build a permanent cafe further inland in Middle Beach, but have not yet announced where or when it will be.
A spokesman for the National Trust said: “We do not believe that building new sea defenses is the right thing to do.” Our policy is to work with nature, not against it, by removing sites from damage.
“This is a very active stretch of coastline and our policy recognizes the reality of a changing coastline and formulates a response.”
“The best chance to ensure a vibrant future for Middle Beach is to gradually remove buildings and infrastructure as they become vulnerable and replace them in a location that is not at risk.”
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
