Our A-Level Geography trip to Flatford Mill offered a valuable chance to explore both physical and human geography through practical fieldwork. On day one, we travelled to Walton-on-the-Naze, where we carried out coastal fieldwork investigating the impact of coastal management and human intervention on coastal landforms. We studied processes such as erosion and longshore drift and assessed the effectiveness of sea defences including groynes and revetments. Fieldwork techniques included beach profiling, sediment analysis, and field sketches.
After a productive day on the coast, we travelled to the FSC Flatford Mill Centre, where we stayed overnight in a charming, very old cottage full of character. In the evening, we enjoyed a hearty dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, followed by some time to review the day’s work and prepare for the next. The next morning, we started the day with a delicious fry-up, ready for more fieldwork.
On day two, we visited Harwich for our human geography study, focusing on urban change and regeneration. We conducted land use mapping, environmental quality surveys, and questionnaires to investigate how recent developments have impacted the town and its residents. The trip greatly enhanced our understanding of geographical concepts and gave us valuable hands-on experience with data collection and analysis techniques in both physical and human geography. Thank you to Ms Brown and to our mini bus drivers; Ms Gough and Mr Warr too!
