Between 16^th-19th September we visited the Slapton Field Studies Centre in South Devon to study rivers and coasts as part of our GCSE course.  After our introductory talk we headed down to the local beach, Slapton Sands, and got a head start on our work for the exciting weekend ahead. As we sat on Slapton beach we had a very interesting talk about the increasing threat of sea level rise and the potential impacts on the local economy. This was followed by a guided tour around part of Slapton Ley (the largest freshwater lake in the south-west) which is a Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest. The highlight of Friday night was an epic indoor football match; we were too good for the teachers.

On Saturday we travelled to Dartmoor, the source of the River Harbourne. Throughout the day we travelled to a number of locations to compare the various stages of the river. We collected a range of data in order to calculate river discharge and velocity. We also investigated flood protection measures.

On Sunday we were dropped off at the headland Start Point and then walked north 6km back along Start Bay towards Slapton Ley. The purpose of this walk was to research flood risk at Beesands and Torcross villages, the impacts of longshore drift and the sea defences in the area. We enjoyed the scenery, the abandoned village of Hallsands, the amazing cliffs near Torcross and of course the ice cream.

By the next morning it was nearly time to leave and we had a few hours in the classroom with our tutors, starting our controlled assessment follow-up work. We had an awesome time and learnt lots. Thank you Mr Meek, Mr Jones and Mel our amazing Aussi Gap student.

Miranda & Emma