CoastCraft launch – explore coastal resilience through a Minecraft world based on Bude!

What is CoastCraft?

CoastCraft is an educational game designed for students aged 9-14 (in England – Upper Primary Key stage 2 and lower secondary key stage 3). This game transports players to the coastal town of Bude in North Cornwall, modelled in MinecraftEducation™ by BlockBuilders. Playing CoastCraft introduces students to the dynamic processes of shaping coastal areas and challenges them to make decisions that balance the needs of various stakeholders while protecting the environment.

Who developed CoastCraft?

Based on the landscape of the town of Bude in Cornwall, the game has been developed in partnership by Minecraft Education, Cornwall Council and the Environment Agency as part of the latter’s £200m Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme.

Is CoastCraft part of the Future Coast Bude project?

Although CoastCraft is based in Bude, it is not part of the Future Coast Bude project. It is funded though Making Space for Sand. This is another project led by Cornwall Council and funded through the Defra Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme. This project covers a number of sites across Cornwall.

The aim of the Making Space for Sand Project is to encourage the more sustainable use and development of the coastal fringe to allow for a more natural, ecosystem approach to coastal management where traditional coastal protection is not possible. To find out more about Making Space for Sand visit their website: Home Page - Making Space for sand

CoastCraft is based on the sand dunes at Summerleaze beach. Does the game affect what is planned for the future of Summerleaze?

No. However, the game is based on real life modelling and shows the actual impacts that different decisions will have on the local area. The aim of CoastCraft is to give young people around the world the opportunity to understand more about coastal processes and what the competing needs are of a range of stakeholders.

CoastCraft places students onto Summerleaze in the present day. The game introduces the processes which are currently shaping the area, and provides the player with an opportunity to make important decisions while developing coastal resilience in the local community.

The Future Coast Bude project will be working with the community in Bude to plan for what their vision is for the coastline in Bude in the future. This will be done by working closely with the community to understand what is most important to them, and how a range of pressures and interests (just like in the game) can be balanced in the future, in the face of rising sea levels and coastal erosion.

How were Budehaven School involved in the project?

Students in Years 7 and 8 at Budehaven School were given the opportunity to play the game in advance of the launch. They were filmed playing the game and interviewed about how they found it. This footage was developed in a short film which is being used to promote CoastCraft.

CoastCraft was launched on 3 October and young people from Budehaven school were also involved in the launch.

How can I play CoastCraft?

CoastCraft can be played on the Minecraft™: Education Edition. It can be downloaded free and installed on many different types of device. You will need a Microsoft 365 account and you will need to search for “CoastCraft” in the Library.

The Bude Canal was opened on the 8th July 1823. The purpose of the canal being built was mainly to bring lime rich sand for agricultural fertiliser to the hilly hinterland and the local farms. The Bude Canal system was one of the most unusual in Britain. If was remarkable in using six inclined planes which enabled tug boats, measuring 20ft x 5.6ft x 3.20ft to be hauled to the upper levels. It had a total extent of 35 1/2 miles (56km), and it rose from sea level to the upper levels.
	The original plan had been to use barges to transport sand through the sea lock. However, this was not considered effective and a system of rail tracks designed for trucks pulled by horses was developed instead. Some of the rails are still visible on the beach today, and it is the rails running down the path to the beach that have been incorporated into the newly restored access way.
The sea lock is one of only two in the UK, and was enlarged to its current size in 1838. it is 119ft x 30ft x 30ft and requires a minimum depth of 9ft 6" of sea water to operate. The lock is still in use today and is operated by a volunteer crew. The original breakwater was built in 1820. It was rebuilt in 1838 following a violent storm to the design we see today. The breakwater is vital in protecting the harbour and helping ensure the safe passage of ships.

Photographs courtesy of The Castle Heritage Centre.

Work has continued on the walkway with various sections now completed at the seaward and landward canal path ends.

The final walkway section left to complete is located in the middle of the tramway walkway close to the dwarf wall and tramway siding. This last section to be completed will incorporate the historic granite setts into the final surface which used to support the sand tramway siding rails.

Before work started, the positions of all the granite setts were surveyed. Before the new surfacing was laid, the setts were put back in their existing positions, and were set to the new walkway finished level.

The final concrete bay has now been excavated. In this area, the new walkway is wider than it was originally, requiring the bank to be dug out. During this work, approximately ten of the historic granite setts were uncovered. It is likely that over time, these setts have come loose from the section of the walkway that is regularly under water at high tide. It is thought that to prevent these loose setts being washed out to sea, they had been moved to an area that is not submerged by the high tide, and over time, these have become buried by soil. As the work to the walkway where these setts have come from is already complete, unfortunately they will not be able to be reinstated. They are being safely stored, and we would welcome thoughts from the community as to how best they should be used or displayed in the future.

Past the seaward end of the tramway walkway the surface defects in the existing concrete walkway have been cleaned and repaired to ensure a smooth and accessible walkway surface is provided all the way down to the beach.

Preparation of tramway siding area foundation and replacement rails before concrete walkway pouring.	Finished section of concrete walkway with granite setts freshly finished exposed aggregate finish.	Concrete repairs to historic surface defects in lower section of tramway walkway underway.

Works have been progressing at speed on the sand tramway surfacing now the revetment works are complete. Sections of walkway surfacing have now been completed at the top of the sand tramway and at the seaward end. Preparation works on the middle sections now underway.

In the section adjacent to the dwarf retaining wall, the historic cobbles have been relocated in their original historic positions, however raised in their height, to be incorporated in the finished walkway surface.

As walkway sections are completed, movement joints are filled with a flexible mastic. This will prevent future cracking when the sections of concrete slabs expand and contract with temperature changes.

The footprints in the concrete at the beach end of the walkway are starting to be filled, to ensure that the walkway is accessible all the way down to the beach. This work will continue this week.

Health and safety challenges due to high spring tides had to be managed over the weekend, but with the tide falling to neaps, this should not be a problem in the coming weeks.

Preparation of historic granite setts for inclusion into final concrete surface.	Freshly finished walkway surface after pressure washing top layer of cement off to expose concrete aggregate.	Finished aggregate foundation for walkway with replacement rails relocated along original alignment.	Holes being filled at the beach end of the walkway.

The Future Coast Bude team will be at stand 87 at the Holsworthy and Stratton Agricultural Show on Thursday 28 August. Come and chat to us to find out more about the project and how you can be involved.

Works on site have been proceeding at speed now the block work revetment has been completed.

The historic tram rails have been preserved where possible at the top of the walkway, however where their condition was too poor in the lower part of the walkway, they have been replace in their original locations with like for like replacement rails.

The concrete walkway is being poured in short sections starting from the top and bottom of the walkway. The rails and historic setts have been included in the finished surface.

The final walkway surface has been given an exposed aggregate finish to allow it to blend in with the local setting and to provide additional friction.

The next week’s works will involve the preparation, pouring and finishing of more sections of walkway.

Placement of compacted aggregate foundation for concrete walkway.	Replacement tram rails being set in place and historic granite setts relocated to original locations, prior to pouring of concrete slab.	Finished exposed aggregate surface on top of walkway. with original rails inlayed into new concrete slab.

Works on the walkway are now fully underway, following the completion of the work to the revetment. The historic tramway surfacing has been removed, along with the granite setts being placed to one side, to be reinstalled in the final finished surface later.

Where possible the existing historic rails are being retained, however, where they are too damaged or corroded, they are being replaced with a like for like copy in the same position.

Towards the bottom of the walkway the blocks along the top edge of the tramway sea wall have been raised locally in low spots in order to make a consistent gradient for the final walkway surface.

Works for the next week will focus on preparation of the lower walkway for the installation of the concrete surfacing, by replacing the damaged sections of rail and replacing the historic granite setts in their original locations but at the finished walkway level.

Stripping off of the old surfacing and building up of the seaward walkway edge, to provide a continuous gradient for the finished walkway.	Raised edging of the wall in preparation for pouring of concrete walkway behind.	Freshly poured concrete walkway surface with historic rails incorporated and exposed aggregate surface.

Restoration work on the historic Sand Rails walkway continues to move forward, with recent cooler weather helping the team make good progress.

The sloping revetment and dwarf retaining wall are now complete and fully pointed. Attention has now shifted to the walkway itself, where work is underway to carefully restore the original surface.

Contractors have begun clearing the old cobbled surface at the seaward end of the walkway and removing any badly corroded sections of the original tramway rail. The historic granite setts have been surveyed and set aside. These will be reinstated in their original locations but at a slightly higher level when the new concrete surfacing is laid.

Since their installation, the temporary steps have been well used by visitors heading to Summerleaze beach, helping to ease pressure on the main access route during the busy summer season.

Completed revetment to dwarf wall transition.	Finished revetment and seeded top bank looking seaward.	Removal process of old walkway surfacing and corroded rails – historic granite setts removed and stored for reuse.	Newly installed temporary staircase reported to be well utilised by summer visitors to Bude.

Sloping revetment almost completed to its full height.	Sloping revetment almost completed to its full height	Revetment and dwarf wall interface awaiting pointing	New temporary access staircase installed for increased summer holiday foot traffic

Works have been progressing well on site with the revetment and dwarf retaining wall almost complete. The final pointing works are left to undertake.

Works are now progressing onto the sand rail walkway, where efforts will be made to preserve the historic granite setts of the old railway siding. Works will be undertaken to provide new walkway surfacing, incorporating the historic sand rails. Where the condition of the rails is too poor to allow their incorporation into the new surfacing, they will be replaced with replica narrow gauge train rails.

The new temporary set of stairs has now been installed to ease the expected increased summer holiday foot traffic visiting Summerleaze beach. The temporary stairs will remain in place until the works on the walkway are complete.