Over the pebble ridge.  An acrylic painting of the walkway over the ridge at Westward Ho beach in North Devon. 610 x 610mm.
Every year groups of locals used to throw the pebbles back onto the ridge to maintain the water defences.  This was known as Potwalloping.  The term ‘potwallopers’ has been in existence since 1725 and is an alteration of the word ‘Potwaller’ (1701) which meant a man who qualified for a parliamentary vote as a householder in some boroughs in England prior to 1832. The test being his having a separate fire-place on which food was cooked for himself and his family.
In the ancient manor of Northam (which includes what was to become Westward ho!) a potwalloper had the right to graze their animals on the Burrows, but in return they had to help retain the pebble ridge by annually assisting in throwing back the pebbles that had been thrown onto the Burrows by the winter storms and high tides.
This annual ceremony disappeared after a time but is now still undertaken from time to time.  From westwardhohistory.co.uk