Beach near Domburg, Zeeland.
On many of Zeeland's beaches we see them: the pile heads: (usually) two rows of poles close together that go straight into the sea from the dune. These pile heads have the same function as the stone piers we see on other coasts: to prevent the beach from eroding. Due to the ebb and flow of the tide, the water flows along the coast with great force and without the pile heads, the beach would erode. And once the beach would be up, the dune would begin to erode.
Why does Zeeland choose to protect its coast with wooden piles instead of stones? The answer lies in the difference between high and low tide. This is because it is so great that the same effect would require far too many stones.
Ton Drijfhamer is a highly regarded image maker from Delfzijl, Netherlands, who combines his passion for photography with a deep-rooted love for the northern regions of the Netherlands. Ton describes himself as someone who is "alone, but together with the weather, the wind, and my.. Read more…