Tuesday 18 July 2017

Rye Harbour



This is the nature reserve at Rye Harbour on the East Sussex coast. It is 1149 acres of mainly flat saltmarsh with shingle ridges, scrub and woodland creating a mosaic of habitats. This reserve has been designated a site of special scientific interest and has recorded more than 4,500 species of plants and animals.




I spent all day wandering through the reserve admiring the plant life and viewing some of the numerous sea birds from the hides dotted throughout the area. I could identify a few of the flowers but not many of the birds.
Yellow horned-poppy
Wild geranium




Scarlet Pimpernel

Greylag geese


Cormorants





Numerous teasels were attracting the bees.


.I climbed over the shingle ridges onto the beach.

The beautiful sandy beach was empty and the weather perfect for walking.




After walking along the beach for a few miles I clambered back over the shingle back onto the reserve.


During the past 700 years this coastline has changed dramatially with shingle ridges shifting and reforming. A series of great storms around 1287 moved the river mouth 15 km from New Romney to Rye ans washed away the the original town of Winchelsea. Camber Castle marked the shoreline 500 years ago.
This 16th century  defensive fort was built by Henry VIII to protect the Sussex coast against French attack.
It is only open on the first Saturday of the month during the Summer but I did manage to take a few photos through the gates.






The walk back to Rye Village car park took me round a newly created reedbed which used to be a very large gravel pit.



The River Rother, Rye Harbour.


18 comments:

  1. You bring back memories !

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  2. What a nice place to be and so empty, no one to see there!

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  3. True natural beauty. We can only hope there isn't oil or gas underneath.

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  4. Looks like a very tranquil spot and you had it to your self.

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  5. Thanks for the tour. Your skies are so lovely as well as the location of this nature reserve. :-)

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  6. oh, I wish I could have hiked here with you. Enjoyed

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  7. Oh that beach looks absolutely divine! A perfect place for a contemplative afternoon soaking up the sun!

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  8. Excellent place to go, I'd love to have a walk around there, especially the castle

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  9. What a lovely place to visit.

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  10. Great post. Looks really peaceful

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  11. That old fort looks very interesting!

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  12. Well, I enjoyed that walk. It is amazing all of the life out in a wetland.

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  13. What a beautiful place - I love getting out into nature. And that castle is something else!

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  14. Fascinating places with lots of variety and history on all fronts...:)

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  15. What a wonderful walk -- it's a beach, so that alone would make me happy, but then all that wonderful history, the wetlands, and greenery. Love it.

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  16. Love it around Rye - though I've never done that walk; it looks fabulous. Only vaguely heard of Camber Castle - though I do know it was one of a chain Henry built.

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  17. What a great combination of natural and human history - its a part of the world I really do know at all.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Geneva, Switzerland

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