Church Landing Shoreline Reconstruction

Meredith, New Hampshire

 

Retained by NH Hospitality Holdings to stabilize an eroding shoreline slope that also was difficult to maintain and offered a hazardous and unsafe access to a popular sand beach. We examined options for stabilizing the slope including use of multiple stone walls, terraced planting beds and use of only native ground cover.

 

Final design applied a combination of all these options. Stabilization started with removal of unstable materials and lawn. At the midpoint down the slope a cut occurred to construct a single low granite stone wall with back drainage to assure stability. Native ground covers were planted from the base of the wall to the sand beach to mirror a native condition.

 

Plantings above the stone wall included a mixture of low evergreens, small flowering deciduous shrubs and a mixture of perennials to provide guests with a pleasant setting when viewed from their rooms or when walking the resort grounds. An access from the top of the bank to the beach was done with natural profile stone slabs (steps and landings) providing safe passage to the beach.  Finally, two sitting areas with classic Adirondack chairs were placed at the top of the bank and framed with new plantings and cobblestone edging.