Vegetated shingle at Pevensey and Eastbourne

Vegetated shingle at Pevensey and Eastbourne

Vegetated shingle is a scarce habitat in Sussex, inhabited by a small range of plants which are adapted to growing on coastal shingle in the harsh conditions of low soil moisture and exposure to wind and salt spray. Typical plants include Sea Kale (Crambe maritima), Sea Campion (Silene uniflora) and Yellow Horned - poppy (Glaucium flavum). Some of the best remaining examples of this habitat along the South East England coast are at Shoreham-by-Sea and Dungeness.

Although vegetated shingle is a globally rare habitat, there has been continued destruction along the Sussex coast. Due to its fragile status, the flora is vulnerable to damage from a range of threats, both natural and manmade. Coastal squeeze and excessive visitor pressure, as is the case along the frontage at Eastbourne, can lead to either the total loss of vegetation or a dramatic reduction in the quality of the community present.

Surveys have been carried out recently by the Pevensey to Eastbourne project team, which have found that currently, the vegetated shingle is generally absent or in poor condition along the whole frontage, apart from small, discrete fenced off areas.

We think that in time there will be opportunities to improve the condition of vegetated shingle through a combination of design and careful habitat management. In the short-term we may be impacting areas where shingle could or should be but is absent or in poor condition.

Coastal squeeze, where areas inland are urbanised and coastal erosion is eating away at habitats along the seafront, is a threat to vegetated shingle in the future, so we need to identify locations where it could possibly move inland.

The vegetated shingle is a very sensitive feature which Natural England and Sussex Wildlife Trust will be keeping an eye on.