Beachcomber finds Victorian pottery near sinkhole

A woman has described her delight at finding more than 40 pieces of Victorian pottery while beachcombing.

Angela Schrier, 50, said she would usually be content with finding a handful of sea glass when she searched the coastline at Hunstanton, Norfolk, but a sinkhole on the promenade has led to an explosion of pottery being washed out onto the beach.

Schrier said: "I generally would find four or five pieces during a normal visit so it is absolutely overwhelming at the moment."

The Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk said people were visiting Hunstanton as emergency repairs to the promenade took place to look for items used in the structure's original construction.

Schrier said she started visiting Hunstanton to beachcomb after she lost her dad.

"I just came to the beach, it relaxed me and finding the pieces it was the way I've coped, I suppose, with the grief," she said.

Schrier said her dad would be really pleased that she had gathered finds to make into pictures and decorations for her home.

She said with more pottery being found in Hunstanton, Schrier said she has been spending all her days off and "several hours" at a time searching the sands.

"To some people, it would be crazy, but for me so much happiness," she said.

Being close to nature and having a focused activity also helped her manage her bipolar disorder, Schrier said.

"Some people would look at it and think that's just a bit of old glass. For me though it's just wow!"

Work has started to repair the promenade, which involved sealing the structure and filling it with concrete.

It was likely that once the work has been completed the release of material would stop.

Sandra Squire, the cabinet member for environment and coastal for the authority, said the sinkhole was not putting people off from visiting the town.

"The hole's turned into quite a tourist attraction with people on the beach wanting to see what they can pick up," said Squire.

Beachcombing is generally allowed as long as the material gathered is for personal use and at a small scale.

While sea glass and driftwood are allowed to be removed, it is unlawful to remove natural materials including sand and pebbles under the Coast Protection Act 1949.

Restrictions were tighter in areas identified as sites of special scientific interest, such as West Runton, Norfolk.

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