Monument record SWD 033 - Section of sea bank c 2.5km long partially enclosing Woodsend Marshes, Busscreek Marshes & Town marshes

A section of sea bank is visible on 1945 aerial photographs (S1) as an earthwork partially enclosing Town Marshes, Busscreek Marshes and Woodsend Marshes, west of Southwold. The earthwork runs from TM49527642-TM50657577, for a distance of c2.5km, with a further section 200m long, between TM50247584-TM50397583. This section of sea banks is depicted on a map dating to 1801 (S2), and appears to have included a section which ran along the south-west edge of Southwold Common joining the two ends of the longer section of bank. The shorter section of bank visible on aerial photographs may be a remnant of this part of the flood defences. The fact that these banks appear on this early map (and the OS 1st Ed 25" map from c1884) show that the flood defences in this area are of post medieval origin.