Undercliff Defence Committee

Fighting for the Ventnor, St Lawrence & Niton Undercliff and its residents

About the Undercliff and what makes it unique

The Undercliff refers particularly to a geologically unstable coastal area of ancient and modern landslide complexes stepping down to the English Channel coast between Niton in the West and St Lawrence and Ventnor in the East. The area is famous for its chalk grassland, luxuriant undercliff woods, cliffs and freshly exposed slopes with pools of water, harbouring a wide variety of habitats and protected species, as well as a number of historic Victorian properties.

The Undercliff includes designations as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Site of Special Scientific Interest, Heritage Coast, and Site of Interest to Nature Conservation, with adjacent coastal waters designated at European level as the South Wight maritime Special Area of Conservation.

The area is well-known for landslides, which have given the area its unique character as one of the largest landslide complexes in northern Europe, the most recent closing a section of the A3055 route between St Lawrence and Niton in 2001 pending repairs. The rich scenic, biological and historical character of the Undercliff faces many challenges, but by far the most serious to date is the proposal by Isle of Wight Council to realign a section of  the A3055.

  Home     Contact UDC: +44(0)1983 730455;  +44(0)1983 856688   Email: post@undercliff.org