Sandcastle Theory is Toast of the Coast

11 June 2007

Professor Matthew Bennett talks sand with presenter Dr Alice Roberts during filming.

Professor Matthew Bennett put sandcastle-building to the test during a fascinating journey with the BBC’s Coast television series.

Professor Bennett - Head of the Environmental and Geographical Sciences Group within BU’s School of Conservation Sciences - made stops along the Dorset and Devon coast of Britain to see which location yielded the best material and conditions for making sandcastles.

Aided by Coast regular Dr Alice Roberts, Professor Bennett compared the sand-making qualities of the beaches in Weymouth and Lyme Regis (where additional sand has been imported from France) in Dorset, and Torquay in Devon.

After a number of tests, including grain-size, distribution and the load-bearing capacity of the sand, Torquay sand was adjudged the ‘best’ for making sandcastles.

The result echoed a previous triumph for Torquay. In a study commissioned by Teletextholidays.co.uk, Prof Matthew Bennett and his colleagues at BU analysed sand taken from a number of UK beaches.

They determined that the ideal mix for making sandy towers and turrets stand firm is one part of water for every eight parts of sand

That study revealed that Torquay was the beach to visit for constructing sandcastles, followed closely by Bridlington in East Yorkshire, and the resorts of Great Yarmouth, Bournemouth and Tenby.

“Britain has a wealth of beaches that are extremely well suited to sandcastle building, so if people get the water-sand combination right they will have hours of fun,” said Professor Bennett.

“The strength of a sandcastle depends on how the grains interact, so the correct mix of sediment and water is crucial to any castle that is being built.

"Too much water and the sand will liquefy. Too little water and the sand won’t bind.”