Hidden in Devon there’s a village that’s been named as one of the spookiest. For years, the village has caught the attention of Brits who are fascinated by its history. Hallsands is a fishing village which collapsed into the sea in 1917 – the entire village was destroyed together with the livelihoods of its people.
The area is home to stunning coastline, but the area did not fall into the sea due to the forces of nature. Instead, it was due to the actions of man. Today Hallsands lies largely under the waves. Time Out has named the village as one of the “spookiest” in the UK.
In the 1890s, the Admiralty decided to expand the naval dockyard at Keyham, 30 miles away.
One of the country’s biggest engineering companies, Sir John Jackson Limited, took on the contract in 1896.
The Board of Trade gave the company permission to dredge shingle from along the coast between Hallsands and Beesands. Villagers were not consulted, but they did hold protests.
The Board of Trade agreed to an enquiry which led to Sir John Jackson paying £125 per year to the villagers of Hallsands.
Concerns about the long term impact of dredging subsided, and life returned to normal.
Three years later, storms battered the coastline again and swept away part of the sea wall.
But then, on 26 January 1917, the whole village of Hallsands fell into the sea.
It had been home to 128 people and 29 homes before it was felled by a strong easterly wind and an extremely high tide.
Reports say it took just two stormy nights for the entire village to disappear, though the disaster was years in the making, caused by the removal of shingle from its beaches.
All that remains of the once-thriving community are the stone walls of a few ruined houses.
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