Lying across the mouth of Christchurch Harbour just to the east of Bournemouth, Mudeford Spit forms a dramatic geographical feature on the south coast of England. The photograph was taken looking north-northeastwards, with the pleasure boats clearly visible in the harbour to the left and the beach huts, costing as much as a small house, strung along the sandbank. The narrow harbour entrance channel known as ‘the Run’ is towards the upper centre of the picture, with the buildings of Mudeford and Christchurch stretching away beyond.
The sandbank or spit is formed from sand and shingle brought from the west along the coast by longshore drift. The prevailing winds from the west push the seawater onto the beaches from that direction, bringing with them sand and shingle. As the waves surge up the beach, a process known as the swash, they take the material they are carrying with them. As the water drains directly down the beach back to the sea — the backwash — it takes most of the sand and shingle with it. This process is repeated along the coast (see Figure 1).
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