Further Reading
The evidence behind the campaign.
The case for saving Start Bay rests on more than a century of evidence. These sources set out the history, the science and the economics in greater depth.
Cost of No Action Study (2025)
Our independent cost-benefit analysis, prepared using UK government methodology, which found a benefit-to-cost ratio of 9:1 for acting now rather than waiting for a breach.
Hallsands: A Village Betrayed – Steve Melia
Published by Forest Publishing in 2004, the definitive account of the dredging that destroyed the village of Hallsands and reshaped Start Bay.
The Hallsands papers – Richard Hansford Worth
From 1904, the first scientific analysis of the changing beach levels along Start Bay, showing the lost shingle to be of ancient, irreplaceable origin.
Classic Landforms of the South Devon Coast – Derek Mottershead
A modern geographer’s assessment, concluding that the destruction of Hallsands was the inevitable consequence of removing the shingle.
For the full economic case, see our Background Information page.