ALDERNEY BREAKWATER - SCHEME EVOLUTION

Alderney is the northernmost of the Channel Islands, lying 13km off the Normandy coast. The main breakwater at Alderney, known as the Admiralty Breakwater, provides essential shelter to the commercial and fishing quays and swing moorings for fishing boats and visiting yachts. It also provides protection to the shoreline around Braye Bay. Wave conditions at Alderney are frequently severe. In response to this severe wave attack the Admiralty Breakwater (constructed between 1847 and 1864) has required continual maintenance (costing £447,000 in 1998). Even with this level of investment, however, the long-term decay of the structure and occasional breaches continue. This paper explores the history to the Admiralty Breakwater, why there is a need for works and how a range of disparate design.