In recent decades the UK’s coastal areas have become increasingly popular places to visit and live. This, coupled with the rise of online marketplaces for short- and long-term homestays, has resulted in more and more second homes and summer holiday lets in coastal towns and villages.
Today in Borth, nearly all the village’s hundred or so seaward-facing houses are second homes. Some second homeowners are closely connected to the village and make a regular contribution to village life. However, many holiday homes stand empty for much of the year exacerbating housing issues for full time residents.
The addition of glass patio doors and balconies to some houses in recent years has increased their vulnerability to beach stones caught up in storms and high tides. The presence of storm boards – sheets of wood placed in gaps between houses – acts as a reminder of the potential power of the sea in this zone.