Development Fund (ERDF) Fund Development © East Sussex County Council 2006 Council County Sussex East © by the European Regional Regional European the by Printed on recycled paper, chlorine free. chlorine paper, recycled on Printed This project is part-financed part-financed is project This Pevensey Bay(AIT) of both people and wildlife in the future. the in wildlife and people both of how we can best manage them for the benefit benefit the for them manage best can we how Beaches At Risk At Beaches is working to understand understand to working is PF once thought. thought. once not last as long as we we as long as last not Dunes du Perroquet (PF) Dunes duPerroquet may beaches our So constantly worn down. down. worn constantly the waves, they are are they waves, the thrown together by by together thrown think. As they are are they As think. Illustration: Dominic Andrews, www.archaeoart.co.uk Andrews, Dominic Illustration: tough as you might might you as tough Rye Harbour Nature Reserve (RHNR), Barry Yates (BY). (BY). Yates Barry (RHNR), Reserve Nature Harbour Rye pebbles aren’t as as aren’t pebbles Alex Tait (AIT), Rye Bay Countryside Office (RBCO), (RBCO), Office Countryside Bay Rye (AIT), Tait Alex has found that flint flint that found has Picture credits: Kate Cole (KC), Patrick Fitzsimons (PF), (PF), Fitzsimons Patrick (KC), Cole Kate credits: Picture Beaches At Risk Risk At Beaches District Council and South Downs Coastal Group. Coastal Downs South and Council District Maritimes des Ports de Boulogne et de Calais, Shepway Shepway Calais, de et Boulogne de Ports des Maritimes of flints from cliff erosion is actually very small. very actually is erosion cliff from flints of Coastal Defence Ltd and Royal Haskoning Ltd, Services Services Ltd, Haskoning Royal and Ltd Defence Coastal Beaches At Risk At Beaches Project suggest the input input the suggest Project Environment Agency, Halcrow, HR Wallingford, Pevensey Pevensey Wallingford, HR Halcrow, Agency, Environment Chalk and longshore drift. Studies by the the by Studies drift. longshore and Chalk Général de la Seine-Maritime, Dover City Council, the the Council, City Dover Seine-Maritime, la de Général Council, Conseil Régional de Haute-Normandie, Conseil Conseil Haute-Normandie, de Régional Conseil Council, material comes from flints eroded out of the the of out eroded flints from comes material Ltd, Brighton and Hove City Council, Canterbury City City Canterbury Council, City Hove and Brighton Ltd, Scientists now think that the only new beach beach new only the that think now Scientists Other funders include ABP Marine Environmental Research Research Environmental Marine ABP include funders Other Rouen, Université de Caen and SMACOPI. and Caen de Université Rouen, Hastings (©GetmappingPLC2006) Kent Wildlife Trust, Université du Littoral, Université de de Université Littoral, du Université Trust, Wildlife Kent of Sussex (Project Leader), East Sussex County Council, Council, County Sussex East Leader), (Project Sussex of Beaches At Risk At Beaches is a partnership between the University University the between partnership a is Partners [email protected] Email: www.geog.sussex.ac.uk/BAR Website: move Brighton BN1 9QJ BN1 Brighton Falmer University of Sussex of University on the the on movement is generally eastwards. generally is movement Building Chichester drift. On the eastern Channel coasts, this this coasts, Channel eastern the On drift. Geography of Department c/o Beaches At Risk At Beaches Project the coast by a process called longshore longshore called process a by coast the Beaches Beaches Sand and shingle is constantly moving along along moving constantly is shingle and Sand For more information please contact: contact: please information more For Further Information Further How long will they last? they will long How A fixed landscape? Shingle Beaches Sandy Beaches Our shingle beaches are Some sand is carried down to the coast made of flint eroded out by rivers. Some comes from the erosion of of the Chalk. The Chalk sandstone cliffs. Sandy beaches are more itself formed 70-100 common in northern France than in southeast millions years ago, from England. This may be because the French the shells of tiny plants coast has larger rivers and because tidal floating in tropical seas. currents carry sand across the Channel from The flint comes from the England to France. skeletons of sponge-like animals that used to live in the sea. PF Constant wearing of the soft chalk by the BY weather and sea releases the harder flint, which The beaches of southeast England and forms pebbles on the beach. But this is only northern France are popular holiday part of the story. Most of our flint pebbles were destinations, and many of us live and work eroded out of the Chalk long ago. During the near them. Few realise that they defend our last Ice Age, sea levels were lower and much of properties, and provide homes for rare wildlife. the Channel floor was exposed. Flints eroded We seldom think how they were formed and out of the surrounding hills were washed onto assume they will last forever. But they are the Channel floor, then pushed onto the coasts (KC) Fairlight Cliffs constantly changing, shaped by the sea and as the ice melted and sea levels rose. Scientists Sun-dried sand blows inland forming dunes weather. We need to better understand them think this offshore supply has now stopped, so which shift with the wind. But Marram grass and the many benefits they provide.Beaches our beaches are no longer being renewed. thrives on this loose, mobile sand, and helps At Risk is working to do just that. to bind the sand together, building higher rivers dunes - perfect for protecting low lying 20,000 years ago land behind and providing homes for highly specialised plants and animals. flint-rich gravel deposits estuaries and tidal inlets beaches 8,000 years ago Ice Age sand and gravel deposits present coastline thickest deposits found Changes in the Rye Bay in former river valleys coastline since 1400 RHNR BMAPA Present Camber Sands (AIT) Development Fund (ERDF) Fund Development © East Sussex County Council 2006 Council County Sussex East © by the European Regional Regional European the by Printed on recycled paper, chlorine free. chlorine paper, recycled on Printed This project is part-financed part-financed is project This Pevensey Bay(AIT) of both people and wildlife in the future. the in wildlife and people both of how we can best manage them for the benefit benefit the for them manage best can we how Beaches At Risk At Beaches is working to understand understand to working is PF once thought. thought. once not last as long as we we as long as last not Dunes du Perroquet (PF) Dunes duPerroquet may beaches our So constantly worn down. down. worn constantly the waves, they are are they waves, the thrown together by by together thrown think. As they are are they As think. Illustration: Dominic Andrews, www.archaeoart.co.uk Andrews, Dominic Illustration: tough as you might might you as tough Rye Harbour Nature Reserve (RHNR), Barry Yates (BY). (BY). Yates Barry (RHNR), Reserve Nature Harbour Rye pebbles aren’t as as aren’t pebbles Alex Tait (AIT), Rye Bay Countryside Office (RBCO), (RBCO), Office Countryside Bay Rye (AIT), Tait Alex has found that flint flint that found has Picture credits: Kate Cole (KC), Patrick Fitzsimons (PF), (PF), Fitzsimons Patrick (KC), Cole Kate credits: Picture Beaches At Risk Risk At Beaches District Council and South Downs Coastal Group. Coastal Downs South and Council District Maritimes des Ports de Boulogne et de Calais, Shepway Shepway Calais, de et Boulogne de Ports des Maritimes of flints from cliff erosion is actually very small. very actually is erosion cliff from flints of Coastal Defence Ltd and Royal Haskoning Ltd, Services Services Ltd, Haskoning Royal and Ltd Defence Coastal Beaches At Risk At Beaches Project suggest the input input the suggest Project Environment Agency, Halcrow, HR Wallingford, Pevensey Pevensey Wallingford, HR Halcrow, Agency, Environment Chalk and longshore drift. Studies by the the by Studies drift. longshore and Chalk Général de la Seine-Maritime, Dover City Council, the the Council, City Dover Seine-Maritime, la de Général Council, Conseil Régional de Haute-Normandie, Conseil Conseil Haute-Normandie, de Régional Conseil Council, material comes from flints eroded out of the the of out eroded flints from comes material Ltd, Brighton and Hove City Council, Canterbury City City Canterbury Council, City Hove and Brighton Ltd, Scientists now think that the only new beach beach new only the that think now Scientists Other funders include ABP Marine Environmental Research Research Environmental Marine ABP include funders Other Rouen, Université de Caen and SMACOPI. and Caen de Université Rouen, Hastings (©GetmappingPLC2006) Kent Wildlife Trust, Université du Littoral, Université de de Université Littoral, du Université Trust, Wildlife Kent of Sussex (Project Leader), East Sussex County Council, Council, County Sussex East Leader), (Project Sussex of Beaches At Risk At Beaches is a partnership between the University University the between partnership a is Partners [email protected] Email: www.geog.sussex.ac.uk/BAR Website: move Brighton BN1 9QJ BN1 Brighton Falmer University of Sussex of University on the the on movement is generally eastwards. generally is movement Building Chichester drift. On the eastern Channel coasts, this this coasts, Channel eastern the On drift. Geography of Department c/o Beaches At Risk At Beaches Project the coast by a process called longshore longshore called process a by coast the Beaches Beaches Sand and shingle is constantly moving along along moving constantly is shingle and Sand For more information please contact: contact: please information more For Further Information Further How long will they last? they will long How A fixed landscape? Shingle Beaches Sandy Beaches Our shingle beaches are Some sand is carried down to the coast made of flint eroded out by rivers.