Adapting to Coastal Change at Studland Bay

An aerial view of Studland Bay | © National Trust Images

Studland's beaches, dunes and bay have always been shaped by natural forces, and that's part of what makes this coastline so special. Here's what's changing now, why it's happening, and how we're planning for the future.

A dynamic coast

Studland Bay is and has always been a dynamic coastline. It will continue to shift and change.

The Studland peninsula as we know it today is geologically young. Sand first began building up along a strip of hard geology here around 500 years ago, gradually extending to form the beaches, dunes and wetlands we see now.

That same process continues today. Prevailing winds and tides carry sand along the coast and deposit it to the north, so the beach and dunes near Shell Bay keep growing while the beaches to the south can shrink. Storms add to the picture too, sometimes moving in a single night what would otherwise take years to shift gradually.

The changing climate has increased the pace of change with rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather mean the coastline is evolving faster, and less predictably, than before.

We are carefully planning for the future to ensure that people can keep visiting and enjoying this special coastline.

Aerial shot showing the sea, beach and dunes at Studland — Studland Bay | © National Trust. Chris Lacey

Where we are now

The Environment Agency's Shoreline Management Plan, recommends ‘no active intervention’ for the Studland Bay coastline. This means the coastline is expected to return to a naturally functioning state and new or reinforced hard defences aren't supported through planning permissions.

This differs from the ‘hold the line’ approach utilised locally in Swanage, Bournemouth and Poole, where defences also protect homes, roads and businesses that would otherwise be impacted.

The National Trust supports the Environment Agency's recommendation through a policy called Shifting Shores. We plan ahead for change, protect wildlife and adapt our own buildings and activities.

We're often asked why it isn't 'hold the line' at Studland Bay. A few reasons are:

Hard defences protect infrastructure in built up areas. Natural sites like Studland Bay lose what makes them unique if we fix them in place
Groynes, like those used on other nearby beaches, wouldn't protect Studland Bay from the most damaging easterly storms, where waves approach parallel to the beach and pull sand out into the bay.
Gabion baskets (wire baskets of stone) can hold a cliff face in place, but they starve the beach below of fresh material, which speeds up erosion rather than slowing it.
The Environment Agency’s shoreline management plan recommends ‘no active intervention’ for the Studland Bay coastline so planning permission wouldn't be granted for groynes, gabions and other hard defences.

Allowing nature to take its course doesn't mean doing nothing. Work at Middle Beach to remove infrastructure and old, failing sea defences has been completed, and the area is now realigning quickly into a wide, nature-rich bay with more beach for people and nature to enjoy. New, flexible infrastructure has been designed and rolled back to higher ground, creating facilities that are more sustainable in the long term.

The future

We're applying the same approach across Studland Bay through removing old and failing sea defences while maintaining access through the creation of more flexible and sustainable infrastructure.

Our wider nature restoration work supports the coast as well as wildlife: healthy seagrass helps absorb and dissipate wave power, healthy wetlands help slow the flow of surface water so as we restore these habitats across Studland Bay, we're also giving the coastline more natural resilience to change.

Learn more about coastal change at Studland Bay

Studland is a popular place for school and university students studying geography to come and see an example of an eroding coastline and dynamic dune system. We have a selection of resources — including information documents and FAQ sheets — which we are happy to share to support your learning. While we are unable to respond to individual study questions, you are very welcome to e‑mail studlandbay@nationaltrust.org.uk if you would like us to send you the available materials.

Our work to adapt to coastal change

2023-2026

Middle Beach

We have completed the removal of infrastructure and failing coastal defences at Middle Beach, allowing the area to realign into a natural sandy cove.

Work completed

Earlier stages of the project saw the former café, shop and toilets relocated away from the eroding undercliff, with the Sandy Salt Pig café operating from a movable, timber clad catering unit on the cliff top. The final phase, completed in September 2025, involved removing collapsing gabion baskets, rock armour, a failed concrete slipway and retaining wall.

A sandy cove emerges

Removing the artificial defences has allowed the beach to replenish itself with sandy material from the cliff, gaining around one metre of height across the whole beach so far and forming a gentler, naturally sloped cove with more beach for people to enjoy. The beach is still currently closed while it continues to realign.

Wildlife

Ahead of works, licenced ecologists moved reptiles to an adjacent area within an exclusion zone, and rangers built artificial hibernacula to shelter them until the works were complete.

The changes at Middle Beach have brought a marked increase in bird life, with brent geese feeding on eelgrass, and oystercatchers and turnstones foraging along the foreshore, delivering the enhanced wildlife habitat and more resilient, naturally beautiful coastline the project set out to achieve.