Shanklin Chine, circa 1910.

Chine Hollow, Shanklin, circa 1910.

A chine is a steep-sided river valley where the river flows through coastal cliffs to the sea. Typically these are soft eroding cliffs such as sandstone or clays. The word chine originates from the Saxon "Cinan" meaning a gap or yawn. Chine may refer to: Chine, the word given for steep-sided river valley where the river flows through coastal cliffs to the sea. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (505x766, 372 KB) Shanklin Chine c1910 - Project Gutenberg eText 17296. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (505x766, 372 KB) Shanklin Chine c1910 - Project Gutenberg eText 17296. ... Image File history File links Chine_Hollow,_Shanklin_c1910_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_17296. ... Image File history File links Chine_Hollow,_Shanklin_c1910_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_17296. ... Old English redirects here. ...

The word is in use in central southern England; in Hampshire, Dorset and particularly the Isle of Wight. In Dorset, west of Bournemouth is found Branksome Chine and Alum Chine, and east towards Boscombe, Honeycombe Chine. There are nineteen chines sidney chtaime bcp Isle of Wight including the popular tourist attraction Shanklin Chine. All chines are in a state of constant change due to erosion, and the most well-known example, Blackgang Chine, has been destroyed by landslides and coastal erosion during the 20th century. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ... Dorset (pronounced DOR-sit or [dÉ”.sÉ™t], and sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the south-west of England, on the English Channel coast. ... For other uses, see Isle of Wight (disambiguation). ... , Bournemouth is a large town and tourist resort, situated on the south coast of England. ... Boscombe is a suburb of the much larger Bournemouth. ... The seafront at Shanklin, 2003 Shanklin is a popular seaside resort and civil parish[1] on the Isle of Wight, England, just south of Sandown on the south coast. ... Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight Blackgang Chine circa 1910 Blackgang Chine is the location of a natural chine (a coastal ravine) in the soft Cretaceous cliffs near Ventnor at the southern tip of the Isle of Wight, England. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999...

Chines are the remains of ancient river valleys, now mostly small gullies leading down to the sea. As the walls of the chines and cliffs of the south coast of the Isle of Wight are so unstable and erode continually, the strata are clearly visible. Chines are therefore very important for their fossil records, their archaeology and the unique flora and fauna they provide shelter to.

There is also some fascinating folklore attached to the chines because of their history with local smuggling, fishing and shipwrecks. Shanklin Chine is also famous for its involvement in the Second World War.

Chines are very dependent on the farmed landscape around them because crops are typically grown right up to the edges of the chines themselves, and water drains into the chines from this farmland.