The Alde & Ore Association
Taking care of the
Alde & Ore Estuary
River defence
Without the river walls, the Alde and Ore Estuary cannot survive.
One of the Association’s primary objectives is to work to preserve the defences of the river. It does this by working as an active partner in the Alde & Ore Community Partnership (AOCP) through the Association’s River Defence Committee, which carries out annual surveys of the river walls, and by commissioning and publishing research.
It also has close ties with the Alde & Ore Estuary Trust (AOET), which raises and administers funds for local flood defences.
River Defence Committee
The Alde and Ore Association set up the River Defence Committee in April 2007 at a time when the Association was the forerunner locally in pressing for additional Government expenditure on flood defences.
The River Defence Committee produces an annual photographic report on the state of the river defences (available below). These reports are sent to the Environment Agency to help them assess their capital and maintenance budgets for the following year.
Additional reports are produced after a major event such as the tidal surges that occurred in November 2007 and December 2013. The latter was, in many parts of the river, greater than the devastating surge experienced in 1953. Significant damage was experienced particularly on the coastal defences at Slaughden, Hazlewood Marsh was totally inundated and remains so, and Snape village had catastrophic damage with 27 houses badly flooded.
Our estuary and rivers, along with the coastline, are the defining natural features for our region. We all share a responsibility to look after them so that future generations can enjoy their unique character.
Join the Association today to help support our efforts to ensure that our local economy, homes and livelihoods are not washed out to sea.
Members who would like to assist with conducting a river walls survey are invited to contact us.
River bank assessor reports 2025
The reports are available as dowloadable pdf files, grouped by flood cell.
FC1 – Hollesley pumping station to Butley Ferry
FC7 – Snape Bridge to Blackheath
FC10 – Slaughden Quay to Brick Dock
Prior year asessments
FC2 – Butley Mills
FC3 – Ferry Cottage to Chillesford Lodge
FC4.1 – Gedgrave & Sudbourne Marshes
FC4.2 – Chantry Marshes to Orford Quay
FC4.3 – Pump House to Orford Town
FC4.4 – Pump House to Chapmans Creek
FC5 – Chapmans Creek to The Anchorage Iken: not available due to COVID-19 restrictions
FC6 – South Bank of Snape Bridge: not available due to COVID-19 restrictions
FC7 – Snape Bridge to Blackheath
FC8 – Blackheath Estate, Ham Creek: not available due to COVID-19 restrictions
FC9 – Brick Dock to Hazelwood Marshes Breach
FC10 – Slaughden Quay to Brick Dock Jetty
FC1 – Boyton and Butley Marshes
FC2 – Butley Mills
FC3 – Ferry Cottage to Chillesford Lodge: No significant change in year.
FC4.1 – Butley River and Gedgrave Marsh
FC4.2 – Orford Sailing Club to Chantry Point
FC4.3 – Pump House to Orford Town
FC4.4 – Chapmans Creek to Pump House: outstanding.
FC5 – Chapmans Creek to The Anchorage Iken
FC6 and FC7 – Snape North and South Bank
FC8 – Blackheath Estate, Ham Creek
FC9 – Brick Dock to Hazelwood Marshes Breach
FC10 – Brick Dock to Martello Tower
FC2 – Butley Mills
FC3 – Ferry Cottage to Chillesford Lodge
FC4.1 – Butley River and Gedgrave Marsh
FC4.2 – Orford Sailing Club to Chantry Point
FC4.3 – Pump House to Orford Town
FC4.4 – Chapmans Creek to Pump House
FC5 – Chapmans Creek to The Anchorage Iken
FC6 and FC7 – Snape North and South Bank
FC8 – Blackheath Estate, Ham Creek
FC9 – Brick Dock to Hazelwood Marshes Breach
FC10 – Brick Dock to Martello Tower
FC2 – Butley Mills
FC3 – Ferry Cottage to Chillesford Lodge
FC4.1 – Butley River and Gedgrave Marsh
FC4.2 – Orford Sailing Club to Chantry Point
FC4.3 – Pump House to Orford Town
FC4.4 – Chapmans Creek to Pump House
FC5 – Chapmans Creek to The Anchorage Iken
FC6 and FC7 – Snape North and South Bank
FC8 – Blackheath Estate, Ham Creek
FC9 – Brick Dock to Hazelwood Marshes Breach
FC10 – Brick Dock to Martello Tower Part 1 River walls
FC10 – Brick Dock to Martello Tower Part 2 Saltings
FC2 – Butley Mills
FC3 – Ferry Cottage to Chillesford Lodge
FC4.1 – Butley River and Gedgrave Marsh
FC4.2 – Orford Sailing Club to Chantry Point
FC4.3 – Pump House to Orford Town – no report
FC4.4 – Chapmans Creek to Pump House
FC5 – Chapmans Creek to The Anchorage Iken
FC6 and FC7 – Snape North and South Bank
FC8 – Blackheath Estate, Ham Creek
FC9 – Brick Dock to Hazelwood Marshes Breach
FC10 – Brick Dock to Martello Tower
FC2 – Butley Mills
FC3 – Ferry Cottage to Chillesford Lodge
FC4.1 – Butley River and Gedgrave Marsh
FC4.2 – Orford Sailing Club to Chantry Point
FC4.3 – Pump House to Orford Town
FC4.4 – Chapmans Creek to Pump House
FC5 – Chapmans Creek to The Anchorage Iken
FC6 and FC7 – Snape North and South Bank
FC8 – Blackheath Estate, Ham Creek
FC9 – Brick Dock to Hazelwood Marshes Breach
FC10 – Brick Dock to Martello Tower
FC1 – TM366440 to Butley Mills
FC2 – Butley Mills
FC3 – Chillesford Wall to Chillesford Cliff
FC4.1 – Gedgrave and Sudbourne Marshes
FC4.2 – Orford to Chantry Point
FC4.3 – Chantry Point to Pump House
FC4.4 – Pump House to Chapmans Creek
FC5 – Chapmans Creek to The Anchorage Iken
FC6 – Iken to Snape South Bank
FC7 – Iken to Snape North Bank
FC8 – New England Farm to Little Japan
FC10 – Brick Dock to Martello Tower
FC 1 – Boyton and Butley Marshes
FC 2 – Butley Mills
FC 3 – Chillesford Marshes
FC 4 – Gedgrave and Sudbourne Marshes
FC 5 – We were unable to access FC 5 (Iken Marshes) in 2012 due to bird nesting restrictions.
FC 6 and 7 – Snape to Langham Bridge
FC 8 – Ham Creek Marshes
FC 9 – Hazelwood Marshes
FC 10 – Aldeburgh and Haven Marshes
FC 11 12 and 13 – NT and RSPB
April 2010 RDC report (not currently available)
April 2009 RDC report – Snape to Orford.
April 2009 RDC report – Orford to Shingle Street
April 2008 RDC Annual General Meeting Minutes (not currently available)
April 2008 Annual General Meeting of the River Defence Committee Minutes.
December 2007 Bulletin No.4 Report on river defences post the 9th November surge.
October 2007 Bulletin No.3 Report on meetings with Environment Agency
July 2007 Bulletin No.2 Report on state of river defences
May 2007 Bulletin No.1 Highlights of the launch meeting 28/4/07
