FALLING APART

Large Cracks Appear in ‘Broadchurch’ Cliffs, Closing Trails

The cracks appeared after heavy storms battered England’s Jurassic coast, including the cliffs prominently featured in the ITV drama series.

Large fissures appeared on Tuesday in the iconic Dorset cliffs featured prominently in the British show Broadchurch, resulting in the closure of over a mile of footpaths, according to the Daily Mail. The cracks appeared after heavy storms battered England’s Jurassic coast, including the cliffs that are frequently shown in the ITV drama series. Paths between West Bay and a holiday park in Freshwater Beach have been closed as a safety precaution. On Monday, residents were warned to avoid the nearby beach at Durdle Door, after several large boulders fell from the cliffs onto the sand below. Geologist Richard Edmonds said that rain could be “problematic” and may have contributed to weakening the integrity of the cliffs. “Maybe it is just the sheer volume of water that is causing the water table to rise, therefore reducing the strength of the rock,” he said. The 140-foot-tall cliffs are made of sandstone, a porous rock which can hold large quantities of water, but the integrity of which can decrease at high saturation levels.