Sad loss of the Devil's Chimney and the Chink

The Devil's Chimney, The Chink and the Wishing Rock are no more!

These popular Isle of Wight geological features were destroyed by a landslide in December 2023. Following exceptional levels of rainfall over the summer, the saturated ground finally gave way, taking many thousands of tons of rubble with it and threatening local properties.

More than 20 properties bordering the landslide were evacuated, and the main Shanklin to Ventnor Road closed for safety reasons.

The local council explained that they expect further landslides in the area as a consequence of further downpours during September and October which can take several months to filter through the bedrock.

Part of the Coastal Path between Bonchurch and Ventnor has also been closed by the landslide, pending further inspections when it is safe to do so.

We will keep this article updated but for now it seems we will need to review our educational resources to ensure that references to these historic attractions are amended accordingly.

Link:

BBC News coverage

Tags: The Isle of WightCoastsUndercliffLandslideDevil's ChimneyThe ChinkBrowse ALL Articles