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Hemsby erosion: Cliff edge home moved inland

Supplied House and cliffs at HemsbySupplied
The black bungalow belonging to Lance Martin has been dragged back from its precarious clifftop home

A home teetering on the edge of a rapidly eroding clifftop has been dragged inland in a bid to save it from being demolished.

Erosion on the coastline at Hemsby, Norfolk, has destroyed homes and washed away part of a vital access road.

Lance Martin bought his bungalow six years ago and has moved it back twice, most recently on 16 March when it was dragged 2m (6.6ft) inland.

It was dragged further on Tuesday to what he called "a resting place".

The area has been battered by high spring tides and strong winds this month and the vulnerable stretch of coastline has been ravaged by erosion.

Martin Giles/BBC Lance MartinMartin Giles/BBC
Lance Martin said he was determined to save his "dream home" from demolition

Five homes at risk of falling into the sea along The Marrams in Hemsby have been demolished in recent weeks.

About 2,000 tonnes of granite is being placed along a 131ft (40m) section of the cliff at The Marrams which Great Yarmouth Borough Council admitted was a "temporary solution".

Martin Barber/BBC Home on cliff edge at HemsbyMartin Barber/BBC
This was Mr Martin's home teetering on the cliff edge on 14 March

Mr Martin's home was first moved about five years ago because of coastal erosion, so this is the third time he has had to call in the heavy machinery in another bid to save his beloved property.

Martin Barber/BBC Bungalow on cliff topMartin Barber/BBC
A couple of days later it was dragged several feet away from the edge
Andrew Turner/BBC Lance Martin in a bathAndrew Turner/BBC
As his possessions were moved out of his house before its potential demolition, Mr Martin posed in his bathtub

Speaking earlier this month, Mr Martin said he believed it would take "about five years" before his house was habitable again.

"It'll give me a future, I just love it down here, I love the people," he said at the time.

Oliv3r Drone Photography Bungalow in the process of being moved at HemsbyOliv3r Drone Photography
The bungalow part-way through being moved away from the cliff and across the access road earlier this week

Posting on a local Facebook group after this latest move, Mr Martin wrote: "We have moved the house into its final (or is it?) resting place."

Moving the property had resulted in "some substantial damage", he said, and a there was "a lot of work is ahead of us in the coming days/months/years to put it back to a liveable dwelling".

Illustration showing location of property demolition, new sea defences and beach access at Hemsby Gap in Norfolk
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