The town of Cromer, {43a} on the same occasion, met with considerable loss. The jetty erected at the north end of the town caused a large mound of sand to accumulate to the eastward of it, presenting an inclined surface towards the sea, and during the intervention of north-westerly gales, indigenous grasses sprung up, and covered the surface nearest the banks; this time, however, the jetty gave way, and the greater portion of the mound of sand was removed; but still there was sufficient left to convince the inhabitants, had the jetty been erected at the west end of the town, their property would have been saved. In the erection of a groin at Trimingham, {43b} a few years since, large square piles, about ten or twelve inches in diameter, were driven into the beach, at a right angle, to the base of the tall cliffs, and extended to or beyond low water mark; they were left projecting a considerable height above the then surface of the beach, and strong planks, fastened with iron bolts, were continuously attached to the tops of the projecting piles. The shallow existing must have been considerable in length, breadth, and depth; for subsequently a heavy sea, produced from a northerly gale, removed several of the piles entirely, and others were forced from a perpendicular to a horizontal position. This circumstance, however, is readily accounted for, the strata into which the piles were inserted at a particular part, passed through blue clay into blue sand of a loose texture, and the piles were not driven to a depth necessary to reach or enter the solid strata beneath; now if we take into consideration the length and depth of the shallow, and breadth of surface presented by pile and plank, subjected to the full sweep of the tidal current from north to south, or rather at this point from east to west, aided and assisted by an increased flow of water from the Atlantic, we cannot be surprised at the result above mentioned. It was found necessary to support those left with additional piles placed horizontally on the west side. The effect produced by this costly groin was an accumulation of sea-beach materials to the northward, extending about thirty yards from the base of the cliff towards the sea, reaching to the top of the pile and plank; from thence an abrupt declination ensued, and terminated at the part from whence the piles, &c., alluded to had been removed. Immediately to the southward of this barrier scarcely any accumulation of sea-beach materials had taken place, and the sea was committing greater ravages upon the cliffs adjoining than before. {44}