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60-593: Orford Ness is a cuspate foreland shingle spit on the Suffolk coast in Great Britain, linked to the mainland at Aldeburgh and stretching along the coast to Orford and down to North Weir Point, opposite Shingle Street . It is divided from the mainland by the River Alde , and was formed by longshore drift along the coast. The material of the spit comes from places further north, such as Dunwich . Near

120-741: A central heating plant . These pipes are generally run through utility tunnels, which are often intended to be accessible solely for the purposes of maintenance. Nevertheless, many of these steam tunnels, especially those on college campuses, have a tradition of exploration by students. This practice was once called "vadding" at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , but students there now call it roof and tunnel hacking . Some steam tunnels have dirt floors, poor lighting and temperatures above 45 °C (113 °F). Others have concrete floors, bright light, and more moderate temperatures. Most steam tunnels have large intake fans to bring in

180-662: A cuspate foreland forms as a result of continued accretion and progradation. An example of this type of cuspate foreland is the one found at Dungeness along the southern coast of Britain. This cuspate foreland has formed as a result of the merging of SW waves from the English Channel, and waves from the east from the Strait of Dover. Another example is the cuspate foreland found between Awatere River and White Bluffs in Marlborough, New Zealand. This foreland has ridges on

240-553: A cuspate foreland has formed from deposition, it may be vulnerable if human interference alters the transport of sediments from the shoreline. However, if the cuspate foreland is a relic of a past feature that has eroded, human interference with longshore sediment movement will not have a significant impact on the cuspate foreland. For a cuspate foreland to be maintained, the input of sediment must be greater than output of sediment. Activities such as coastal development or engineering must be regulated for sediment to continue moving towards

300-455: A high level of disturbance from physical factors such as wave action. However, with the frequency of storms arising from climate change, the effect on forelands and their associated vegetation needs to be effectively managed. Urban exploration Urban exploration (often shortened as UE , urbex, and sometimes known as roof and tunnel hacking ) is the exploration of manmade structures, usually abandoned ruins or hidden components of

360-425: A powerful secondary wind in the opposite direction move shingle down the coastline from both directions to a place where the coastline changes, causing a foreland to develop. The majority of cuspate forelands are formed over a coastline that juts out into the sea at enough of an angle to allow the drifting beach material to 'spill over' as a result of long shore drift in both directions. A cuspate foreland can form in

420-473: A relic of a past feature that has eroded over time. This gap in knowledge provides the opportunity for further research. It is likely that Point Pelee is migrating westwards since accretion is occurring on the western side, and erosion is occurring on the eastern side. Lake Victoria in Australia also has a number of cuspate forelands. Point Scott is a cuspate foreland along this lakeshore that has formed from

480-604: A specialized set of guidelines, the foremost of which is "When it rains, no drains!", because the dangers of becoming entrapped, washed away, or killed increase dramatically during heavy rainfall. A small subset of explorers enter sanitary sewers . Sometimes they are the only connection to caves or other subterranean features. Sewers are among the most dangerous locations to explore owing to the risk of poisoning by buildups of toxic gas (commonly methane , hydrogen sulfide , or carbon dioxide ). Sewers can contain viruses, bacteria , protozoa , and parasitic worms . Protective equipment

540-413: A triangular protrusion along a coastline or lakeshore. Their formation is also dependent on dominant and prevailing winds working in opposite directions. Formation can also occur when waves are diffracted around a barrier. Cuspate forelands can form both along coastlines and along lakeshores. Those formed along coastlines can be in the lee of an offshore island, along a coastline that has no islands in

600-491: A wall of fire. Official sources denied that any such attempted invasion took place, an assertion confirmed by classified documents released in 1993. More recently, the flashes of the lighthouse were implicated in the Rendlesham Forest UFO sightings of late December 1980. In 2013, Trinity House announced that the lighthouse was to be decommissioned as an aid to navigation and marked on UKHO charts as disused. It

660-591: Is Cities of the Underworld , a documentary series that ran for three seasons on the History Channel starting in 2007. This series roamed around the world, showing little-known underground structures in remote locales and right under the feet of densely packed city-dwellers. Websites for professional and hobby explorers have been developed to share tips and locations. With the rise in the hobby's popularity, there has been increasing discussion of whether

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720-703: Is Željava Air Base , situated under the Gola Plješevica mountain, near the city of Bihać . It was the largest underground airport and military air base in the SFR Yugoslavia , and one of the largest in Europe. The complex contains tunnels in total length of 3.5 km (2.2 mi), and other large facilities. Nowadays, it is popular for urban exploration, although it is risky due to the possibility of anti-personnel landmines being located in unexplored areas, remnants from 1990s Bosnian War . Many explorers find

780-462: Is ambivalence and doubt here, with regard to what is being physically and ideologically conserved. Owing to its military history, its stark appearance and the fact that it was closed to the public for many decades, several apocryphal stories have circulated about Orford Ness. The best-known is the suggestion that Nazi troops attempted to invade England and actually disembarked at the tip of the peninsula near Shingle Street , before being repelled with

840-545: Is an aquifer present under a cuspate foreland, regulation of water removal is required. At Dungeness, water restrictions have been put in place to maintain the aquifer level. The management of coastlines needs to take into account the natural processes that occur on cuspate forelands since many provide a habitat for birds. Alternative ways of managing coastal erosion is needed, such as the use of ‘soft’ defences instead of high impact defences such as sea walls. Some cuspate forelands naturally do not contain any vegetation due to

900-434: Is insufficient retention of fresh water. Stable cuspate forelands that are composed of shingle often have vegetation above the high tide line. As vegetation is established, mites and collembolans break down plant matter such as roots, resulting in the accumulation of organic matter. Plants also cause the soil to develop and water retention to increase, therefore providing a habitat where more plants can grow. Vegetation above

960-719: Is internationally scarce, highly fragile, and very easily damaged. Together with Havergate Island the site is a designated National Nature Reserve and forms part of: the Alde-Ore Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI); the Alde, Ore & Butley Estuaries and the Orfordness-Shingle Street Special Area of Conservation (SAC); the Alde-Ore Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA);

1020-399: Is known about this type of cuspate foreland. This type of cuspate foreland includes Point Pelee along the shoreline of Lake Erie, and those found along the shoreline of Lake Victoria in Australia. There are two theories with regard to the formation of Point Pelee. Firstly, it is thought that Point Pelee has formed from depositional processes. Alternatively, it is suggested that Point Pelee is

1080-473: Is known as haikyo ( 廃墟 ) (literally "ruins"), and the term is synonymous with the practice of urban exploration. Haikyo are particularly common in Japan because of its rapid industrialization (e.g., Hashima Island ), damage during World War II , the 1980s real estate bubble , and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami . In Bosnia and Herzegovina , a large underground facility abandoned since 1992

1140-528: Is now owned by the National Trust and is open to the public under the name Orford Ness National Nature Reserve, though access is strictly controlled to protect the fragile habitats and due to a residual danger to the public from the site's former use by the military. Access is available only by the National Trust ferry from Orford Quay on designated open days. Urban explorers have also visited

1200-412: Is recommended for people who enter sewers. Exploring active and abandoned subway and railway tunnels, bores, and stations is often considered trespassing and can result in civil prosecution due to security concerns. As a result, this type of exploration is rarely publicized. An exception to this is the abandoned subway of Rochester, New York , the only American city with an abandoned subway system that

1260-597: Is the practice of exploring active or in use buildings, which includes gaining access to secured or "member-only" areas, mechanical rooms, roofs, elevator rooms, abandoned floors, and other normally unseen parts of working buildings. The term "infiltration" is often associated with exploring active structures. People entering restricted areas may be committing trespass, and civil prosecution may result. Catacombs such as those found in Paris , Rome , Odessa , and Naples have been investigated by urban explorers. Some consider

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1320-712: The Discovery Channel , MTV's Fear , and the Ghost Hunting exploits of The Atlantic Paranormal Society have packaged the hobby for a popular audience. The fictional film After... (2006), a hallucinatory thriller set in Moscow's underground subways, features urban explorers caught up in extreme situations. Talks and exhibits on urban exploration have appeared at the fifth and sixth Hackers on Planet Earth Conference, complementing numerous newspaper articles and interviews. Another source of popular information

1380-587: The Mines of Paris , comprising many of the tunnels that are not open to public tours, including the catacombs, the " Holy Grail " due to their extensive nature and history. Explorers of these spaces are known as cataphiles . Entry into storm drains , or "draining", is another common form of urban exploration. Groups devoted to the task have arisen, such as the Cave Clan and Darkside in Australia . Draining has

1440-625: The Ministry of Defence , which conducted secret military tests during both world wars and the Cold War . The site was selected as the location for the Orfordness Beacon , one of the earliest experiments in long-range radio navigation . The Beacon was set up in 1929 and used in the pre-war era. In the 1930s Orford Ness was the site of the first purpose-built experiments on the defence system that would later be known as radar. Having proved

1500-851: The Orfordness transmitting station . This powerful medium-wave radio station – originally owned and run by the Foreign Office , then the BBC and, after privatisation in the 1990s, a series of private companies – was best known for transmitting the BBC World Service in English around the clock to continental Europe on 648 kHz from September 1982 until March 2011. The following year, the site became disused until Radio Caroline began broadcasting from it in December 2017. Orford Ness

1560-894: The Alde-Ore Estuary Ramsar Site site; the Suffolk Coasts and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); and the Suffolk Heritage Coast. It is also listed as of national importance in the Geological Conservation Review (GC), as a grade 1 site in the Nature Conservation Review . (NCR) and qualifies for the DEFRA Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) scheme. The peninsula was formerly administered by

1620-627: The Sydney Cave Clan 's website after they raised concerns that the portal could "risk human safety and threaten the security of its infrastructure". Another website belonging to the Bangor Explorers Guild was criticized by the Maine State Police for encouraging behavior that "could get someone hurt or killed". Toronto Police , called for an "end" to rooftop photography in 2016, citing similar concerns about

1680-464: The Waikanae River is able to settle. There is uncertainty whether the cuspate foreland has formed as a result of sediments coming from the north via longshore drift, or whether it has formed as a result of a complex cycle of sediments moving out to the continental shelf and then back again. As well as forming along coastlines, cuspate forelands can also form along lake shores, although less

1740-484: The ascents of rooftops, cranes, antennas, smokestacks, etc., usually illegally, to get an adrenaline rush and take selfie photos or videos . Rooftopping differs from skywalking as the latter is mostly about taking panoramic photographs of the scene below, and safety is more important than the thrill. Rooftopping has been especially popular in Russia . Buildering has a similar goal as rooftopping and skywalking (to reach

1800-583: The case of a cuspate foreland that has formed close to an island, it is possible for it to extend right up to the island, forming a tombolo . Depending on the physical conditions such as storms, the feature can alternate between a cuspate foreland and a tombolo. Gabo Island in South Australia is an example of where this occurs. After the formation of the cuspate foreland into its distinctive triangular shape, it will start to be colonised by pioneer species that are hardy and tough enough to survive in

1860-404: The coast as one side of the foreland erodes and the other side accretes. Cuspate Forelands that move are typical of those that are formed on open coastlines. The direction of migration is often indicated by a series of successive beach ridges on the advancing side of the foreland where there is less wave energy. The movement of cuspate forelands is commonly explained by longshore drift acting as

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1920-399: The decay of uninhabited space profoundly beautiful, and some are also proficient freelance photographers who document what they see, such as those who document the infrastructure of the former USSR . Abandoned sites are also popular among historians , preservationists , architects , archaeologists , industrial archaeologists , and ghost hunters . Another aspect of urban exploration

1980-412: The eastern and northern sides which face the prominent waves. In other circumstances, spits are formed when long shore drift moves beach material down the beach until the coastline makes an abrupt change in direction, leading to the beach material 'spilling over' the corner to create a protrusion. This normally occurs across a river mouth . In the case of a cuspate foreland, the prevailing wind and

2040-445: The environment. These pioneer species secure the cuspate foreland and allow a greater amount of sediment to further secure it. Colonization and succession of vegetation is dependent on a number of factors. Firstly, if the shingle is too coarse, the amount of fine sediment that can remain between the spaces is reduced, and the likelihood that seeds will germinate and grow upwards is low. Seeds will also fail to germinate and grow if there

2100-483: The extra attention has been beneficial. The activity's growing popularity has resulted in increased attention not just from explorers but also from vandals and law enforcement. The illicit aspects of urban exploring, which may include trespassing and breaking and entering , have had critical attention in mainstream newspapers. In Australia , lawyers for the Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales shut down

2160-457: The floor, making slips and falls a special concern near hot pipes. Steam tunnels have generally been secured more heavily in recent years due to their frequent use for carrying communications network backbone cables, increased safety and liability concerns, and perceived risk of use in terrorist activities. The rise in urban exploration's popularity can be attributed to increased media attention. Recent television shows such as Urban Explorers on

2220-426: The foreland where it can be deposited. Development along cuspate forelands is risky due to erosion and the vulnerability to storms and sea level rise. As sea levels rise, cuspate forelands are likely to be at risk as they could move inland. At Point Pelee, approximately 1,900 hectares of former agricultural land on the cuspate foreland is now under water as a result of wind erosion and compaction of organic soils on

2280-469: The foreland. This foreland is particularly vulnerable to erosion when high lake levels are combined with spring and autumn cyclonic activity. Erosion can also occur as spring storms cause ice to scour the lake bottom at the edge of the foreland. Because there is uncertainty about its formation, there is uncertainty with regard to management, although Parks Canada realises the importance of including Point Pelee National Park in management plans. When there

2340-434: The fresh air and push the hot air out the back, and these may start without warning. Most active steam tunnels do not contain airborne asbestos , but proper breathing protection may be required for other respiratory hazards. Experienced explorers are very cautious inside active utility tunnels since pipes can spew boiling hot water or steam from leaky valves or pressure relief blow-offs. Often there are puddles of muddy water on

2400-408: The gradual accumulation of sand and gravel. Cuspate forelands can be separated into three distinct areas: the central nose or apex, and two marginal wings. The apex usually has ridges that run parallel to the converging shorelines. Cuspate forelands can extend up to 5 km from the shoreline, and an underwater shoal may extend much further, up to 15 km from the exposed apex. Located between

2460-628: The high tide line is common on cuspate forelands that are stable and composed of shingle. Cuspate forelands provide a habitat for various flora and fauna . If a foreland is relatively stable and experiences low wave impact, it may be possible for vegetation to grow. In the United Kingdom, 11 taxa of invertebrates are found on shingle habitats. Shingle beaches also provide a habitat for birds to breed, nest, and rest en route while migrating. There are different management issues with regard to cuspate forelands depending on their formation. If

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2520-570: The lee of an island. In this case, oncoming waves are diffracted around the island, protecting the coastline from the oncoming wave fronts. Sediments brought along the shoreline via longshore drift are then able to settle and accumulate in the lee of the island where there is less wave energy. This type of foreland has formed on the west shore of the North Island of New Zealand, in the lee of Kapiti Island . Waves refract around Kapiti Island, forming an area of low wave energy where sediment from

2580-405: The main process. However, there have been observed cases where two cuspate forelands on the same shoreline have migrated in opposite directions, showing that longshore drift does not always provide a sufficient explanation for their migration. If there is an offshore sandbank present, the position of the cuspate foreland is usually related to its position. If there is a change in the position of

2640-554: The mainland and the foreland are often lagoons or marshy areas. In some areas, such as along the North Carolina coastline, a series of cuspate forelands may form at least 100 km apart. In areas that have a large amount of shingle, such as the cuspate foreland at Dungeness, it is also common for a fresh water table to be present. Once formed, cuspate forelands can remain where they are and continue to develop as sediment accumulates, or alternatively they may migrate down

2700-456: The manmade environment. Photography and historical interest/documentation are heavily featured in the hobby, sometimes involving trespassing onto private property. Urban exploration is also called draining (a specific form of urban exploration where storm drains or sewers are explored), urban spelunking , urban rock climbing , urban caving , building hacking , or mousing . The activity presents various risks, including physical danger,

2760-499: The middle point of its length, at the foreland point or 'Ness', once stood Orfordness Lighthouse , demolished in summer 2020 owing to the encroaching sea. In the name of the lighthouse (and the radio transmitting station – see below), 'Orfordness' is written as one word. Orford Ness is an internationally important site for nature conservation. It contains a significant portion of the European reserve of vegetated shingle habitat, which

2820-533: The most common example of urban exploration. Many sites are entered first by locals and may have graffiti or other kinds of vandalism , while others are better preserved. Although targets of exploration vary from one country to another, high-profile abandonments include amusement parks , grain elevators , factories , power plants , missile silos , fallout shelters , hospitals , asylums , prisons , schools , outmoded and abandoned skyscrapers , poor houses , and sanatoriums . In Japan, abandoned infrastructure

2880-531: The possibility of arrest and punishment if done illegally and/or without permission, and the risk of encountering squatters . Some activities associated with urban exploration may violate local or regional laws, certain broadly interpreted anti-terrorism laws , or can be considered trespassing or invasion of privacy. Encountering squatters , who are unauthorized occupants in abandoned or unmonitored properties, can lead to unpredictable and potentially dangerous situations. Ventures into abandoned structures are perhaps

2940-1120: The possibility of death or injury. The Toronto Transit Commission has used the Internet to crimp subway tunnel explorations, going as far as to send investigators to various explorers' homes. Jeff Chapman , who authored Infiltration , writes that genuine urban explorers "never vandalize, steal or damage anything". The thrill comes from "discovery and a few nice pictures". Some explorers also request permission for entry in advance. Storm drains are not designed with human access as their primary use and can be subject to flash flooding and bad air. Many abandoned structures have hazards such as unstable structures, unsafe floors, broken glass, stray voltage , entrapment hazards, or unknown chemicals and other harmful substances (most notably asbestos ). Other risks include freely roaming guard dogs and hostile squatters . Some abandoned locations may be heavily guarded by motion detectors and active security patrols, while others are more easily accessible and carry less risk of discovery. Rooftopping and skywalking are

3000-489: The process of long-shore drift. The main influence on its formation has been storm waves throwing shingle over the top of the beach crest, where it is protected from ordinary wave action. Over time, this process leads to the formation of stable ridges of fine particles, and swails of coarser shingle. The size and shape of the spit fluctuate over time (see map). Estimated growth rates range from 64 m per year in 1962 to 1967, to 183 m per year in 1804 to 1812. Between 1812 and 1821,

3060-432: The real environment in which the component or system is expected to operate. Many of the buildings from this time remain clearly visible from the quay at Orford, including the distinctive 'pagodas'. In the late 1960s an experimental Anglo-American military over-the-horizon radar known as Cobra Mist was built on the peninsula. It closed in 1973, and in the late 1970s and early 1980s the site and building were re-used for

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3120-441: The sandbank, the position of the cuspate foreland typically follows. Not only does the sandbank act like an island since it causes waves to refract around it, but it also provides a source of sediment. As sand erodes from the sandbank, it is pushed towards the coastline, contributing to the formation of the cuspate foreland as the sandbank migrates along the coast. This often occurs in the opposite direction to longshore drift. In

3180-470: The shoreline. Because some cuspate forelands provide an important habitat for flora and fauna, effective management is required to reduce the impacts from both human activities and physical factors such as climate change and sea level rise . The debate involving how cuspate forelands form is ongoing. However, the most widely accepted process of formation involves long shore drift . Where longshore drift occurs in opposite directions, two spits merge into

3240-555: The site. Rachel Woodward writes: It is a place of strange contrasts. For the National Trust, its 'elemental nature' contrasts with the 'inherent dangers' of this place, a 'hostile and potentially dangerous site'. Military structures – the Bomb Ballistics Building, the Black Beacon, the 'pagodas' used for explosive design – have been converted into viewing spots. This is not a celebratory site, however; there

3300-577: The team wanted "to see if it's possible to do a really detailed building survey with no human operator in the building." Orford Ness is Europe's largest vegetated shingle spit. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) long, and the site covers a total area of approximately 2,230 acres (900 ha). Forty percent of this (890 acres) is shingle, 25 percent (556 acres) tidal rivers, mud flats, sand flats, and lagoons, eighteen percent (400 acres) grassland, and fifteen percent (330 acres) salt marsh. The spit formed almost entirely of flint deposited by waves through

3360-525: The technology on Orford Ness, Robert Watson-Watt and his team moved to nearby Bawdsey Manor and developed the Chain Home radar system in time for its vital role in the Battle of Britain. The Atomic Weapons Research Establishment had a base on the site, used for environmental testing, i.e. testing conducted to determine the functional performance of a component or system under conditions that simulate

3420-472: The total length fluctuated by 1.8 miles (2.9 km). As a result of the dynamically changing nature of the spit, the true age of its formation is unknown. However, before about 1200, Orford is thought to have been a port facing the open sea. 52°04′53″N 01°33′31″E  /  52.08139°N 1.55861°E  / 52.08139; 1.55861 Cuspate foreland Some cuspate forelands may be stabilised by vegetation, while others may migrate down

3480-427: The vicinity, or at a stream mouth where disposition occurs. A cuspate foreland can form in a strait or along a coastline that has no islands or shoals in the area. In this case, longshore drift as well as prevailing wind and waves bring sediment together from opposite directions. If there is a large angle between the waves and the shoreline, the sediment converges, accumulates, and forms beach ridges . Over time,

3540-564: Was demolished in summer 2020. In September 2023, the National Trust employed contractor Bam (working with Historic England and University College London 's Bartlett School for Sustainable Construction) to survey the site - in particular, the AWRE Labs 4 and 5, or pagodas - using drones and a dog-like robot named Spot, manufactured by US firm Boston Dynamics . Concrete decay meant the buildings could not be safely surveyed by human surveyors. National Trust archaeologist Angus Wainwright said

3600-476: Was once operational. The Cincinnati subway is also abandoned but was never completed. London has a number of stations on the London Underground network that have been closed over the years, with Aldwych tube station a popular location for explorers. Universities, and other large institutions, such as hospitals, often distribute hazardous superheated steam for heating or cooling buildings from

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