Brian Weeks, of Long Park, Modbury, writes:

All our sympathies must lie with those whose lives have been affected by the recent spate of atrocious weather throughout the country, especially here in the south west, and much reflection is now needed to see what lessons have been learnt.

The damage to the coastline in the Thurlestone area must have caused huge dismay and heartache to those involved in the various improvements and restoration works over the years.

The work done by the National Trust and volunteers for their six-year project at the main beach has been all but wiped out in just a few days by the inundation of the sea and the question of 'where do we go from here?' must now be extremely difficult to address.

It is plain that despite copious professional input and resource, nature always holds sway as clearly demonstrated by events at Dawlish and the Somerset Levels.

One remaining vestige of the beach and dunes project is the noticeboard describing the project's achievements and promoting South Milton Sands which is now sadly inappropriate and will need to be removed.

Is it now not time to fully recognise, admire and respect the natural feature of the Rock, the Thurle Stone, which has withstood everything that has been thrown at it in living history and surpassed every human endeavour of preservation of the geography and structures in the area.

The beach has been known as Thurlestone Sands for generations, including within my own family and associates, and is recorded as such in a multitude of written records in book or map form going far back in time.

Road signage in the vicinity continue to indicate directions to Thurlestone Sands.

So, come on NT, now is the time to wipe the slate clean and revert the naming to Thurlestone Sands as your first and easy step of renaissance and restoration and start to really listen to those local people who have fought long and hard with great conviction to retain the title which is far more appropriate than South Milton, the village of which lies far inland from the beach itself.