Author: Sal
Giant Jacks? Who Knows The Official Name?
Tuesday, 10th June, 2008 at 9:06 am, Isle of Wight
The cycling artist, Tina Mammoser has got in touch and is hoping our readers might be able to help with a query.
Whilst on the Wight recently (sponsored by the excellent Vintage Vacations), as part of an English Coast paintings project, Tina fell in love with the concrete sea defences that run along the coast near Wheelers Bay.
Their interesting shape has inspired lots of sketching and she’s even sculpted clay versions of what we refer to as ‘giant jacks’.
Given that they’ll feature in her project, Tina wondered whether our readers knew what the official term was for these shapes.
Can anyone help? If you happen to know, perhaps you could leave a comment on this posting.
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June 10th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I think they’re called tetrapods.
June 10th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Thanks for any help that comes along.
I’d also love to know any history behind them - when they were put down? what company made them? I’ve cycled all of the southeast coast so far and haven’t seen these anywhere else so wondered if they were very specific to Ventnor or the Isle or not.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Just checked on Wikpedia and it looks like you’re correct. Tetrapods they are.
June 10th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
They aslo have these in Scarborough north yorkshire - put there about three years ago!
If you look hard enough at the wheelers bay tetrapods(!) they have the date of manufacture stamped in the concrete (how sad is that!)
June 10th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
The Tetrapods at Wheelers Bay were put in place in in the early 1980’s. They weigh around 4 tons each and cost around £900 each to build and place. Unfortunetly, they are not as resistant to erosion and weathering as granite and limestone rock armour, nor do they blend in so well with the natural environment, which is why the rock armour is now used.