Swanage wave barriers get splash of colour to form trail

Panels have been attached to the temporary wave barrier on Swanage seafront

Wave barriers at a seaside resort have been given a makeover to form an art trail and make them easier to see.

The grey blocks on Swanage seafront in Dorset were found to be hard for visually impaired people to spot.

To fix the problem, 70 panels have been painted with designs in vivid colours and fixed to the concrete blocks.

The barriers are put in place each year by the Environment Agency (EA) between October and April to help protect the town from coastal flooding.

The barriers were found to be too grey for people to safely see the contrast between the blocks and the pavement

The art trail, named Flooding Swanage with Art, took eight weeks to create and starts at The Mowlem Slipway.

It was put together by six local artists alongside three schools, youth clubs, scout groups and Allsort'd which supports young disabled people in the town.

An art trail leaflet - also available in large print - with more details on the artworks and artists can be picked up from the Swanage Information Centre.

Four hour-long free guided walks with artist Andy Knill are planned starting from his studio in Commercial Road at 11:00 GMT on 24 November, 19 December, 24 January and 16 February.

A snappy theme has been created on these wave barriers

Schools are also being offered an hour-long outdoor lesson on coastal erosion and flood protection, as well as a guided walk along the trail.

The panels, installed on to the concrete blocks by Swanage Town Council, will be taken down in the spring and reinstalled in the autumn.

Dorset Council said it was working with the EA and the town council to reach a permanent flood protection solution for the resort.

The murals will be taken off the barriers, stored and reused the following autumn

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