A busy road has been left buried by hundreds of tons of rock after a ‘thunderous’ landslide left the area looking like a ‘warzone’.
Dozens of people were left homeless in Ventnor, Isle of Wight, in December 2023 after huge chunks of a cliff tumbled onto a coastal road, only just evading local homes.
The landslide, one of the largest recorded on the island, saw a café, car park and toilet destroyed and left the surrounding area looking like a ‘warzone,’ but luckily no one was hurt.
Now, residents have recalled the booming sound they heard when the cliff face fell, which they say was akin to a ‘bomb going off.’
Roy Rigby, who lives less than 100m from the scene and was the first person to alert emergency services, said: ‘I was awake in bed and heard this incredible noise. It sounded like thunder overhead.
‘The house bounced. I knew it wasn’t thunder, but my first thought was the retaining wall opposite had collapsed.’
His wife, Penny Allison, added: ‘I was asleep in bed and it suddenly woke me up. The whole house shook.
‘It was like thunder – a terrific bang.’
Residents living around the coastal Belgrave Road have been left blocked off by a huge pile of boulders on the road
The landslip, which happened on the night of December 10, saw a cafe, car park and toilet destroyed and left the surrounding area looking like a ‘warzone’
Locals recalled hearing a ‘loud bang’ when the cliff face fell on December 10
Other locals described the ‘unbelievable moment’ as ‘like an earthquake.’
‘It was unbelievable. The windows started shuddering, then I heard an absolute rumble,’ recalled Sophie Blake, who lives below the cliff.
‘The house was vibrating. It was like an earthquake. My son-in-law, who lives near me, said he was in the bath at the time and the water was moving back and forth.
‘We have badgers living behind us, so when I saw two of them run off, I thought, oh my God.’
Another local, Jody Berry, remembered her ‘house shaking so much’ that birthday cards fell from the worktops.
Three months after the landslip, huge boulders which fell from the cliff face are yet to be cleared from a section of Belgrave Road, leaving many residents blocked off.
Local Conservative council Ed Blake says he has tried repeatedly to have the rocks moved but to no avail
Some homes were left perilously close to the cliff edge following the landslip which sounded like a ‘bomb going off’
Local Conservative council Ed Blake says he has tried repeatedly to resolve the issue to no avail.
He added: ‘It either needed a rock netting placed over it, or controlled removal.
‘But instead, there are water-filled barriers, which were not only unsightly, they were going to be useless should something happen, as shown by last night’s fall.
‘I’m just glad no one was under it when it fell.’
Island Roads, the highway authority in the area, said it has ‘every sympathy’ with disgruntled locals.
Incidents such as this one are not uncommon in the Isle of Wight, however.
In January 2020, a landslip on the very same road as the one in December left the area closed for almost two years.
In the lead up to December’s cliff collapse, the area, known as ‘windy corner,’ was known to be at risk with a safety banner in place for a few years.
A spokesperson for the local highway authority said: ‘The Isle of Wight Council and Island Roads will continue to monitor this significant rockfall at Belgrave Road and will take all appropriate action to protect the public, extending the current road closure [Belgrave Road and Rex Steps)] if necessary.
‘There will then need to be a detailed assessment of the movement as this area is known to suffer from geological instability. Island Roads and the council will then work towards determining what action is required to ensure the safety of the area with the intention of removing the fallen rocks and re-opening the road at the earliest opportunity.
‘As always, this will be done when we are sure no further imminent movement is likely at this location. Island Roads will also be contacting the private owners of the rockface to discuss their role in this process.
‘Island Roads and the Isle of Wight Council has every sympathy with Ventnor residents who once again face inconvenience due to the town’s unique geological features.
‘We can assure them we will be working with the Island Roads to resolve this issue as soon as possible.’
