Project details

A highly innovative and creative sculpture of a church located at its original site in the sea off the East coast – a poignant symbol of the ongoing impact of coastal erosion.

The idea for the Lost Town project came originally from the history of the town of Dunwich. In Anglo-Saxon times, Dunwich was the most important commercial centre and port in East Anglia. As a result of coastal erosion, most of the town is under water. This project sought to give the lost city a new face and let people experience its history by rebuilding the six major churches as sculptures in their original location.

The feasibility study has concluded that, although the churches are technically feasible, the project faced a range of issues if it was to be located in Dunwich. However, feedback from members of the public over the last year indicated widespread admiration for the sculptures and their evocative depiction of the impact of coastal erosion. The team therefore began to explore alternative locations for a generic sculpture elsewhere on the coast to symbolise the impact of coastal erosion.

The project is now proposed for Walton-on-the-Naze, which shares a history of losses to coastal erosion; here the sculpture would represent the lost Church of All Saints.  The team has secured strong support during initial consultation and are currently reviewing their feasibility study for this location.

Read about the feasibility study to find out more about the proposal.

Find out more about the project team and read their diary entries to get the latest news on the project.