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.