RISING West Somerset sea levels are claiming mature Monterey pine trees - which grow particularly well in the Westcountry - as their most recent victims, according to latest research carried out on the Blue Anchor-Dunster Steam Coast Trail.

Blue Anchor resident Peter Conrad, who has been documenting and photographing the effects of rising sea levels along the Bristol Channel coast for the past four years, has discovered the loss of three Monterey pines following the latest dramatic erosion.

Mr Conrad said: “Initially, the trees’ roots became increasingly exposed as high tides encroached further inland.

“Then, during a winter storm, all three were toppled.

“The fallen trunks are stark reminders of the changing coastline.

“The trunks are gradually being taken into the Bristol Channel.

“Who knows where they will land up?”

Local walkers and conservationists have expressed concern about the pace of erosion and the vulnerability of natural landmarks.

One regular trail user said: “It is not just the trees.

“The Steam Coast Trail keeps getting blocked with shingle and flood water every winter.

“Concerns are growing that the pace of erosion is accelerating faster than the local infrastructure can adapt, and our grandchildren will suffer the consequences.”

In 2024, the £637,000 coastal path was blocked for two weeks when gales, high tides, and torrential rain uprooted trees, swept tons of shingle on to the path, flattened fences, and piled stones three feet high.

One walker said: “It was as though a hurricane had struck and pulled trees out of the ground.”

Mr Conrad’s photographs have sparked renewed interest in coastal resilience and the need for long-term planning to protect both natural and community assets.

He said he had collected some cones when the trees were still healthy which he planted further along the trail among other pines in the hope that the lost trees will live on.