A couple have been told to quit their home before it falls into the North Sea after storms caused a 3.5-metre section of cliff to crumble.
Juliet Blaxland, 55, told the Mirror in September that she believed her home, one the furthest east in the UK, would be safe for at least five years.
But violent autumn storms, alongside big tides, triggered a dramatic increase in erosion, with nine metres of land lost in the past four months.
After the 3.5-metre section fell away overnight in a “cataclysmic event” last week, engineers found the row of three cottages was now 10 metres from the cliff and unsafe.
Juliet and husband Giles Stibbe, 60, will move home next week.
Juliet said: “We knew all along it would eventually be demolished but it has caught us by surprise, as we could have reasonably expected another year here.
“But ever since we moved in we were always aware of how little time we had left.
“Demolition is incredibly sad. It’s the end of an era.”
She said that the house is a “landmark” in Easton Bavents, East Suffolk.
The village, north of Southwold, used to have a church, a thriving market and many houses. But unrelenting erosion has virtually destroyed the community.
Juliet and Army veteran Giles moved into the hamlet 12 years ago, renting from the local farmer.
Since then they have seen the demolition of several houses and the disappearance of the land between them and the sea.
And engineers have now told the farm owner that all cottage tenants should leave. Demolition crews are expected to raze the homes over Christmas.
Architect Juliet and Giles are moving up the coast to the village of Benacre. The area suffers from erosion, too, but their new home is far enough inland to be safe... for now.
Coastal Partnership East, a group formed by several local councils, has been monitoring the situation.
A spokesman said: “Since the 2018 Beast from the East storms we have seen significant lowering of beaches along the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts.
“Last month, weather events and high astronomical tides caused unexpected, rapid erosion at Easton Bavents. The situation is critical and people living in cliff-top properties are at risk.”
