A stunning clifftop house has been left balancing on the edge of a 400ft drop after a huge cliff fall along the Jurassic Coast. The thatched Devon cottage is now just metres away from the edge of the unstable cliffs in Sidmouth.
This follows last weekend’s collapse of a large section of the cliff at Jacob’s Ladder Beach between Sidmouth and Ladram Bay. Tonnes of debris came crashing down, leading the local authority to close the popular South West Coast Path for safety reasons.
This event triggered a smaller rockfall directly below the thatched property, bringing it dangerously close to the edge of the 400ft drop. Drone footage of the 185 million year old sandstone cliffs revealed the scale of the landslip and the risk it poses to homeowners and beachgoers alike.
In a social media post, East Devon District Council said: “Following a cliff fall at Jacob’s Ladder Beach in Sidmouth, we’d like to remind visitors to keep their distance from cliffs along the East Devon coastline,”
It added: “Cliff falls are a natural and unpredictable occurrence along the East Devon coast. This is because the rock from which the cliffs are formed is soft, and therefore prone to rock falls, and landslides, which can happen at any time.”
East Devon district council has urged visitors to exercise caution and “stay well clear” of the cliffs while walking on the beach. The Coastguard has advised anyone keen on walking near the cliffs to maintain a safe distance from the cliff base, equivalent to the cliff’s height.