the nature reserve from East County Council. County Sussex East from reserve nature the

2011 took on the management of of management the on took Trust Wildlife Sussex 2011

plays a major role in funding and voluntary support. In In support. voluntary and funding in role major a plays

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve was established and it now now it and established was Reserve Nature Harbour Rye

land managed as a sea defence. In 1973 the Friends of of Friends the 1973 In defence. sea a as managed land

came together to form the Local Nature Reserve on the the on Reserve Nature Local the form to together came

and other wildlife, so in 1970 a group of local partners partners local of group a 1970 in so wildlife, other and

pressure on the coast was threatening the nesting birds birds nesting the threatening was coast the on pressure

online at at online www.rhnrfriends.co.uk It became clear during the 1960’s that increasing increasing that 1960’s the during clear became It

the place it is without its 2,000 members. Please join us us join Please members. 2,000 its without is it place the

flooding.

supporting the reserve for 43 years and it would not be be not would it and years 43 for reserve the supporting

the reserve to protect local villages and industry from from industry and villages local protect to reserve the

access. The Friends of Nature Reserve has been been has Reserve Nature Harbour Rye of Friends The

tailor a visit to your requirements. your to visit a tailor secondary sea-defence bank was constructed through through constructed was bank sea-defence secondary

Castle while the Nature Reserve manages its public public its manages Reserve Nature the while Castle

We encourage educational visits for all ages and we can can we and ages all for visits educational encourage We www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/make-a-difference/join in trucks to protect the Level sea wall. In 2005 a a 2005 In wall. sea Level Pett the protect to trucks in

English Heritage – maintains the fabric of Camber Camber of fabric the maintains – Heritage English

more wildlife for you to enjoy. Please join us online at at online us join Please enjoy. to you for wildlife more mouth by Longshore Drift, running it back westwards westwards back it running Drift, Longshore by mouth of the area with our experienced staff. experienced our with area the of vital funding for our work. our for funding vital

much of it is in Environmental Stewardship providing providing Stewardship Environmental in is it of much network that in turn provides a better countryside with with countryside better a provides turn in that network coast by recycling shingle that accumulates at the river river the at accumulates that shingle recycling by coast you the opportunity to discover the wildlife and history history and wildlife the discover to opportunity the you

Natural – the nature reserve is an SSSI and and SSSI an is reserve nature the – England Natural

the whole area that aims to encourage a better wildlife wildlife better a encourage to aims that area whole the from flooding. The Environment Agency manages this this manages Agency Environment The flooding. from

We run regular guided walks and family events that give give that events family and walks guided regular run We

Two other organisations are key to our work here: work our to key are organisations other Two

its own sake and for people to enjoy. It has a vision for for vision a has It enjoy. to people for and sake own its

rises, the land and its habitats will come under threat threat under come will habitats its and land the rises,

Town Council and landowners. and Council Town ... education and events

and campaigning to protect the wildlife of Sussex, for for Sussex, of wildlife the protect to campaigning and strengthened during the last 200 years, but as sea level level sea as but years, 200 last the during strengthened Council, Parish Council, Rye Rye Council, Parish Icklesham Council, District Rother

Shooting and Conservation, County Council, Council, County Sussex East Conservation, and Shooting Sussex Wildlife Trust has a 50 year history of working working of history year 50 a has Trust Wildlife Sussex The sea defences have been developed and and developed been have defences sea The

Sussex Ornithological Society, British Association of of Association British Society, Ornithological Sussex

support. years ago) and Blockhouses (75 years ago). ago). years (75 Blockhouses and ago) years

Committee that oversees the running of the reserve: reserve: the of running the oversees that Committee

for both its wild and human visitors, but we need your your need we but visitors, human and wild its both for (500 years ago), Martello Towers (200 (200 Towers Martello ago), years (500 Castle Camber

These three and the following make up the Management Management the up make following the and three These

sites and Natura 2000 sites. 2000 Natura and sites

(Good to have logos of these 3 above on the leaflet) the on above 3 these of logos have to (Good continue to make improvements to the nature reserve, reserve, nature the to improvements make to continue buildings constructed now mark the old shorelines: shorelines: old the mark now constructed buildings

important to migrating birds – called Ramsar wetland wetland Ramsar called – birds migrating to important

of the reserve is a major partner. major a is reserve the of

rare insects and other invertebrates to live here. We’ll We’ll here. live to invertebrates other and insects rare Napoleonic and the Second World War. The military military The War. World Second the and Napoleonic

and the sea defences and as owner of the southern part part southern the of owner as and defences sea the and This forms part of an international network that is so so is that network international an of part forms This

also protected rare plants and created conditions for for conditions created and plants rare protected also threatened by invasion during three periods: Tudor, Tudor, periods: three during invasion by threatened

Environment Agency – it manages the Harbour of Rye Rye of Harbour the manages it – Agency Environment

Scientific Interest. Interest. Scientific

islands where terns and gulls can nest safely. We’ve We’ve safely. nest can gulls and terns where islands near the present day river mouth. This coast has been been has coast This mouth. river day present the near important part of its funding and voluntary support. voluntary and funding its of part important

Dungeness, and Rye Bay Site of Special Special of Site Bay Rye and Marsh Romney Dungeness,

reserve and now with more than 2,000 members, it is an an is it members, 2,000 than more with now and reserve hunt, saltmarsh where avocets raise their chicks, and and chicks, their raise avocets where saltmarsh hunt, away the original town of which stood stood which Winchelsea of town original the away

this charity has given vital support to the nature nature the to support vital given has charity this Harbour Nature Reserve is part of the enormous enormous the of part is Reserve Nature Harbour

reedbeds where bitterns boom and marsh harriers harriers marsh and boom bitterns where reedbeds mouth 15km from New Romney to Rye and washed washed and Rye to Romney New from 15km mouth

Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve – since 1973 1973 since – Reserve Nature Harbour Rye of Friends

That’s why it’s important to remember that Rye Rye that remember to important it’s why That’s

conditions for wildlife to thrive here. We’ve created created We’ve here. thrive to wildlife for conditions A series of great storms around 1287 moved the river river the moved 1287 around storms great of series A

need to be “more, bigger, better and joined”. joined”. and better bigger, “more, be to need there has been steady improvement to enhance the the enhance to improvement steady been has there dramatically with shingle ridges shifting and reforming. reforming. and shifting ridges shingle with dramatically since 2011, this charity….. this 2011, since

Nature reserves do not exist in isolation – wildlife sites sites wildlife – isolation in exist not do reserves Nature Ever since the nature reserve was established established was reserve nature the since Ever reserve nature the managing – Trust Wildlife Sussex During the past 700 years this coastline has changed changed has coastline this years 700 past the During

... history ... picture bigger the ... future the for vision a

why is Rye Harbour special ? getting there ... your guide to ...

All 475 hectares of the nature reserve has formed by Rye Harbour Nature Reserve lies to the south of Rye the combined force of the wind and the sea pushing and Winchelsea in Sussex. There are several entry points Rye Harbour up great ridges of shingle. It has a fascinating mosaic but the main one is in the village of Rye Harbour where of habitats, many of which are scarce in Britain: there’s a large car park next to the Martello Tower – the Nature Reserve shingle ridges, saline lagoons, saltmarsh, grazing nearest postcode for Sat Nav is TN31 7TX, the OS grid marsh with ditches, ponds, gravel pits and reedbed. reference is TQ942189. The nature reserve has recorded more than 4,500 The railway station in Rye is just an 11 minute walk from species of plants and animals. More than 300 species the north part of the nature reserve near Brede Lock, are nationally rare or endangered, including some that or there’s a regular bus service from Rye station to Rye have declined elsewhere in Britain, such as the water Harbour village. vole and the cuckoo. You can explore all of the reserve along a network of No wonder it has been designated as a Local Nature footpaths. A private tarmac road runs through the Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special southern part of the reserve and the four bird-watching Protection Area, a Special Area of Conservation, a hides here are suitable for most wheelchairs. The Natura 2000 site and a Ramsar wetland site. northern part of the nature reserve, Castle Farm, is served by shingle and grassy paths which are usually dry, and a fifth hide overlooks Castle Water - fabulous for ducks, especially in winter.

keep in touch ...

Find out much more by visiting: www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/ryeharbour

Keep up-to-date with news and goings-on at Rye Harbour on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RyeHarbourNR

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, Lime Kiln Cottage, Rye Harbour, East Sussex, TN31 7TU Nature reserve office phone: 01797 2277 84

Sussex Wildlife Trust Registered Charity No. 207005 bitte rn Grazing... Many areas of the nature reserve are managed with sheep grazing animals, otherwise it Reedbed creation... would quickly go to scrub and Very few areas of this tall wetland then woodland. We use sheep grass survived extensive land drainage and goats to maintain the during the past 100 years. We created grassland suitable for ground 20ha adjacent to a large gravel pit in nesting and feeding birds. 2005 which is now home to reedbed They stop it from turning to specialists bittern, marsh harrier, water scrub and woodland, which rail, bearded tit, garganey and many are habitats we encourage insects. elsewhere. Saltmarsh recreation... A national and local decline in this intertidal habitat has encouraged the recreation of this wetland by the Fences... Environment Agency as part of sea Some of our fencing is defence improvements. We worked electrified to reduce the losses together in 2011 to produce 20 of our ground nesting birds hectares rich in plants, birds and the from foxes and badgers looking tiny animals they feed on, with up to for a tasty egg supper at night. 10,000 tiny shrimps in a square metre – Other fencing is to allow our great for avocets. sheep and goats to manage the vegetation so that it remains suitable for our special wildlife.

avocet

oystercatcher on nest Invertebrates... In our scarce habitats we have Shingle flowers... more than 200 endangered Living in this very harsh invertebrates. Most of these environment with little are tiny and rarely seen, but soil or fresh water, some have an important influence species thrive among the on our management. This pebbles: sea kale, sea large hairy caterpillar of the pea, sea campion, viper’s pale grass eggar moth is a rare bugloss, yellow horned- species, which can often be poppy and two very rare seen crossing the road along species – least lettuce and the shore and provides a major stinking hawksbeard. food source for our cuckoos during May and June.

pale grass eggar yellow horned-poppy moth caterpillar Breeding birds ... With more than 90 species of birds nesting, the specialities here take the trails... are little, common and Sandwich terns, avocet, redshank, lapwing, Short trail about 2 miles or 3½ kilometres: oystercatcher, and ringed and little from the Rye Harbour car park - follow 1, 2, 3, 4 ringed plovers, Mediterranean and Long trail about 5½ miles or 9 kilometres: common gulls, which all benefit follow 1, 2, then 5 and follow the numbers all the way from the protection of our fences. round to 15 to rejoin the Rye Harbour Road co m mon te rn