The sea defence works - recent finds (01/12)

It is going to take at least a week before the tide will go out far enough to allow any reasonable exploration around the square head and the north wall of Margate stone pier below the lighthouse. This in turn is ample time to allow the ground to settle after the recent pile driving and allow the tides to restore some form of natural order. Therefore any wind from the north will be welcome even if it does bring a bit of snow. In the meantime the part of the north wall between the back of the Droit House and as far as the Groyne will still be accessible at low water and should be good with the metal detector if the iron debris from the Jetty can be avoided. Towards the groyne a large amount of stone blocks have been uncovered, all remnants of the 1953 storm. Towards the other end behind the Droit House and the old sluice where I found the coins as in the previous posting, there is still every possibility of finding ammunition from the Second World War and iron nails from the Jetty wreckage of the 1978 storm. I have mentioned live ammunition being found in the area before and the two bullets in the photograph above were found in the past few days along with the iron nail from the Jetty, so it is always there to be found.

Amongst the recent finds from the past week is another piece of a Baluster from the Balustrade that surrounded the 1829 Lighthouse that was lost in the 1953 storm. I have taken a few photographs of the recent find and have posted them on the left.

Pictured is the joint that fixed the Baluster into the stone work and also present are traces of the original mortar.

The Friends of the Margate Museum in the near future will be staging an exhibition of all the storms that have battered Margate , along with photographs and accounts of the storms to coincide with the sea defence works. All my finds will be part of that exhibition and all the significant finds will be donated to the Margate Museum.