Cornish beach makes 'full recovery' after Storm Pierrick damage

Videos showed beach huts being swept into the sea last month

Damaged picnic benches at Castle Beach
Author: Megan PricePublished 24th May 2024

A Cornish beach, which was heavily hit from Storm Pierrick in April, has made a 'full' recovery.

Videos at the time of the storm showed strong winds battering the cafe and beach huts swept into the sea at Castle Beach in Falmouth, followed by a major clear-up operation.

"Completely destroyed"

Damaged beach huts and benches which were destroyed from the gusts have since been replaced.

Damaged beach huts at Castle Beach

Emily Davidson, owner of Castle Beach Cafe, said: "When I got here at 6am in the morning to assess the damage, there were already people clearing up the rubble and sweeping. I came down in the morning and I had no idea what to expect. I didn't know if the cafe was going to be damaged.

"I was looking at the price of picnic tables after the storm because they were all completely destroyed. People wanted to give us money for the storm recovery. We had our (new) picnic tables donated."

The owner of the cafe extended a fundraiser, which they had in place for solar panels, to allow them to help with storm recovery after the incident which has almost reached its target.

Emily added: "It'll make a huge difference. It'll be about one third to one half of our energy costs which will be removed because of the solar panels.

"My energy bills went up by five times the amount than they were when I took over two and a half years ago. That coupled with the cost of all of our ingredients and the cost of our staff, it is difficult for small businesses to keep going in this economic climate."

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