Katie Ritson reflects on her experience standing on the mudflats along the North Sea coast, contemplating the cyclic nature of time and the fragility of coastal landscapes. She explores the historical context of flooding and erosion, drawing parallels to literary works by W.G. Sebald and Charles Algernon Swinburne. Reflecting on the vanishing town of Dunwich and submerged Doggerland, Katie considers the broader geological and prehuman history of the landscape. Drawing from Robert MacFarlane’s perspective on Doggerland, she contemplates a future beyond human settlements, suggesting that acknowledging the vast timescales of geological change offers a different perspective on hope in the face of environmental challenges.
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