This book is part of the Top Spec Geography series, which aims to support A-level geography students in moving their thinking from GCSE to a higher level. It is also a good read for teachers wanting to update and improve their understanding of coasts, especially in the context of the systems approach. Chapter 2 looks at coastal processes, Chapter 3 applies them to rocky coastlines, and Chapter 4 focuses on depositional coasts. Processes are clearly explained, and the text is supported with useful diagrams and photographs, making complex concepts and interrelationships much easier to understand. Sample pages from the Coastal Processes chapter in this book can be downloaded here.

The Holderness Coast is a popular example used to illustrate both a coastal landscape and a place where coastal processes threaten human activity. This book links the rapid erosion of the cliffs to the south of Flamborough Head to the deposition of sediment at Spurn Point to the south. Williams tells tales of the coastline from the past to the present, illustrating them with maps and photographs. Teachers will find ideas, stories and images to enhance their lessons, bringing this stretch of coastline to life for students. (See also Further materials.)

Slapton Sands is particularly interesting as it is a shingle-barrier beach, forming a barrier between the freshwater lagoon of Slapton Ley and the sea. This case study explores the processes shaping the coastline in Start Bay, focusing on Slapton Sands. It includes a range of data to enable students to investigate the processes at work, including wave direction and size, cross profiles of the beach, and photographs. Links between the physical and human processes in the area are made by recognising the role of coastal defences designed to protect the village of Torcross and the road across the top of the shingle beach. The case study includes questions for students to answer, challenging them to use the data provided to form conclusions. This resource could be given directly to GCSE or A-level students or could inform teachers’ lesson planning.

This article starts by explaining coastal processes and then links these to the formation of different types of beaches. This is then broken down into beach subsystems and illustrated with examples from around the globe. Teachers will find this article interesting to read and will enable them to go beyond the basics of beach formation in their lessons, giving their students an insight into the complexity of the natural world. It would also be a useful resource for A-level geography students, who will have studied coastlines in a UK context at GCSE and will need to widen this to a global context at A-level.

The Yorkshire coast is being eroded by the North Sea, and this clip shows how.