For Simon Measures, 54, one of the last residents on Hemsby’s erosion‑hit cliff top, the past few years have brought the gradual - and then sudden - disappearance of the community around him.

Of the roughly 14 houses still standing before Christmas, only three households remain on The Marrams.

The road itself now survives mostly as a name and a faint line on Google Maps.

Google Maps still shows an address on The Marrams in Hemsby, while the road itself has mostly disappeared due to coastal erosion. (Image: Google Maps)

Almost all of its gravel and tarmac have slipped onto the beach below, leaving only a few broken, disconnected sections.

“It’s very sad,” Mr Measures said. “The lights we used to see on at Carol Boyes’ house are all gone.”

Ms Boyes, 80, left her home in early January as erosion worsened. The house has since been demolished.

“It’s just darkness left now. It’s hard to work out where things used to be,” Mr Measures said.

“There are only ourselves and two other households left on the Marrams. The rest are gone. The community is gone.”

A resident of the Marrams in Hemsby evacuating his home in January. (Image: Denise Bradley)

The empty plots on the dunes in Hemsby where homes have been demolished. (Image: Mike Page)

Over the winter, contractors working for Great Yarmouth Borough Council demolished 26 homes on The Marrams and Fakes Road that were judged to be at risk of collapsing onto the beach.

The work followed a brutal season in which Hemsby lost more than 10 metres of land and endured around half of the erosion previously forecast for the next 30 years.

The destruction has pushed Fakes Road - the next street inland, where houses are built of brick - onto the frontline of the village’s struggle with the sea.

The view from a back garden on Fakes Road, now the frontline in Hemsby's struggle with the sea. (Image: Denise Bradley)

Elsewhere in Hemsby, sadness at the loss of homes is slowly giving way to anticipation for the summer season.

Councillor James Bensly, who represents the village on both the borough and county councils and runs the Beach Cafe, said: “We’ve taken a severe hit this winter.

"People have lost their homes. My heart goes out to the unfortunate residents.

“The government should really be picking up compensation for residents hit by erosion.”

A community on Hemsby's crumbling clifftop has disappeared due to severe and unprecedented coastal erosion. (Image: Shaun Button/Drone Vision Norfolk)

The borough council said it was awaiting an update from the Environment Agency after it announced £30m of new funding in January for coastal management authorities in Norfolk, Suffolk and Yorkshire.

Of that, £18m is earmarked for projects to help communities adapt to erosion - including “selective property purchases” - and £12m for smaller‑scale flooding and erosion work. The funding cannot be used for sea defences.

How the money will be divided remains unclear, but the council’s coastal management team believes it should be allocated according to where the greatest loss of homes is expected.

The authority said it had supported residents who lost their main homes with alternative housing options, though some chose not to take up the help offered.

Cllr Bensly added: “On the flipside, it’s onwards and upwards in the village. Hemsby is and always will be a magnet for fun and families.

“The difference between winter, when it’s a ghost town, and now, when you’re getting a glimpse of hope with the sunshine, is unbelievable.”

The winter’s impact has also been felt by Hemsby Independent Lifeboat, which is relocating its base to the former Hollywood Diner on Beach Road because erosion threatens the long‑term viability of its current station at the Gap.

Dan Hurd, coxswain at Hemsby Independent Lifeboat. (Image: James Weeds)

Dan Hurd, the lifeboat’s coxswain, said: “We’re glad the winter is over. It’s not been a great winter, especially on The Marrams.

“Potentially the lifeboat station could have to be demolished at some point. The ramp was reinstated several times. It’s been a headache.”

The crew are now focused on preparing the Hollywood Diner for its new role as a lifeboat station.

“We want to get the Hollywood open,” Mr Hurd said. “Hopefully that will help us get income for the lifeboat. It’s costing a fortune to re‑do the ramp. Heading into summer, hopefully it will be a good one.”

© Eastern Daily Press