One of Britain’s most iconic seaside landmarks is set for emergency repair after a shock report claimed it could crumble. Lyme Regis’s famous Cobb harbour wall – always snapped in storms with waves crashing over it – was first built in the Dorset town in the 13th Century, with the current version a rebuild dating back to the early 1800s.
The Cobb is the place where Louisa Musgrove fell from steps in Jane Austen’s 1818 novel ‘Persuasion’ and starred in the opening of the 1981 Oscar-winning movie ‘The French Lieutenant’s Woman’ with Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep. But the structure, probably the most famous man-made feature in Dorset, has been seriously holed below the waterline on the seaward side. Now Dorset Council has requested the repairs to the Grade I listed structure after a report said as holes are so large there is a fear that stonework above could collapse unless immediately repaired.
Due to the location of the holes, the repair work can only take place at spring tide lows – limited to four days in early November, but even this cannot be guaranteed because of the weather.
Special concrete will be used which pumps at high pressure and sets within two hours.
Scaffolding and steps will be put in place a week before with a weighted counterbalance system to stabilise the scaffolding with the steps lowered from the scaffolding to the base of the wall.
One tonne concrete blocks will be lifted by crane in front of the repair to help reduce the impact of waves once the void is filled.
The emergency repairs are separate to the next phase of coastal works at Lyme Regis likely to cost around £8.4million to secure the Cobb for years to come.
Dorset Council’s flood and coastal erosion engineering manager Matthew Penny said recently that talks were ongoing between the council and Historic England over the project and, if all goes well, construction is still planned to start this winter, continuing until the spring of 2027.
Dorset Council, which has made the application for the Grade 1 listed structure repairs, says the work will involve filling it with marine concrete at what is known as the Ginshop Turn on the Cobb, an indentation in its structure.
Councillors were told at a recent harbours committee meeting that the cost is likely to be around £350,000.
An expert report on the damage said: “The assessment shows that urgent works are required imminently due to its vulnerable location and focus point for wave energy during winter storms.
“The size of the void was also of great concern, with a depth of up to 2 metres, a width of up to 7 metres and a height of 0.3 metres, leaving large blocks unsupported deep within the structure and at imminent risk of collapse.”
The earliest known mention of the Cobb is in 1294, though it probably existed before Lyme received a royal charter in 1284 from King Edward I – it is though the name derives from cobbled stones used in early builds.
The Cobb has been destroyed or severely damaged by storms several times. It was swept away in 1377, which led to the destruction of 50 boats and 80 houses.
Until 1756, the Cobb was detached from the land at high tide. When a bad storm in 1817 damaged the Cobb, it was virtually rebuilt using local Portland stone.
For centuries, Lyme Regis was a major Channel port, attracting ships and traders from all over Europe.
It enjoyed a long heyday between 1500 and 1700, with far-flung trade to Africa, the West Indies and the Americas, benefiting rich merchants and sea captains.
The steps connecting the lower part of the Cobb to the upper part are made from protruding stones and known locally as ‘Granny’s Teeth’.
It was these steps which feature in Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion, where the character Louisa Musgrove falls and suffers a concussion.
The Cobb also featured in the film adaptation of John Fowles’ novel The French Lieutenant’s Woman.
The late John Fowles was an acclaimed author who lived in Lyme. The adaptation was filmed in the town in 1980 and starred Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons.
A specialist archaeologist report added: “The Cobb is widely considered to be the earliest surviving example of a structure of its type in the country and as such is considered to be of Very High importance.”