The Duver Wall project began in May 2003 and was planned to take 40 weeks to complete. The Project Manager was Ken Orchard of the Isle of Wight Council. Funding came from DEFRA (Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) out of the central government budget and the cost was around £3.3 million.

The wall is 560 metres in length and is supported on 240 concrete piles. Those in the centre go down as far as 30 metres and in other areas, 5 metres. Approximately 5,500 tonnes of concrete were used. The wall is clad with Purbeck Stone from the Purbeck Hills in Dorset. The gate portals are of Portland Stone, weighing up to 14 tonnes each.

The gates that punctuate the wall have a satinless steel frame and are of purpleheart timber marine hard wood.

On the sea side of the wall there is a rock revetment to break up the waves before they hit the wall. Around 1,800 tonnes of rock was brought over from Boulogne by the Finnish firm Sillanpa.

Between the wall and the road there is a parking area and also a landscaped feature. This is made up of rocks and shingle that came from the beach and the old wall, so there is an element of re-cycling involved. The landscaping, the controversial "standing stone" rocks and the artistic interpretation are the work of John Main.

Back a Page