Sussex Scrapbook
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Wildlife walks throughout the year
Saturday 8th January 2011
Wartling - Herstmonceux - Rickney - Horse-eye Level - Newbridge - Herstmonceux -
Wartling
10 miles
Two friends joined us
today, and as they had a car we decided on a place that has been inaccessible to
us of late - Pevensey Levels. We were taking a bit of a chance really as this
area is notoriously difficult to navigate, due partly to the lack of adequate
path signage but also because of the network of water channels (known as sewers)
that criss-cross the levels and which can suddenly bar the way ahead. This
reclaimed marshland is also prone to flooding of course and whole sections can
overnight become no-go areas. In low visibility the place is impossible to
navigate and the farmer told us even he can't find his way in the fog - and he's
lived there all his life! To make matters worse last night there was a huge
storm that hit the whole of the south coast. Sussex had a lot of rainfall and
severe gales, but the
Met Office, who had predicted the whole event
meticulously, also assured us that Saturday would be a calm, clear day after a
bit of morning rain.
So, taking the chance that we would be turned back by nature, we set off as
planned to go and see what nature had in store for us.
Despite some detours
around flooded fields, and some precarious, improvised manoeuvres over deluged
hot-spots, we confidently punched our way through all of the obstacles and
squelched our way through some of the best mud we've walked on for ages. Not the
sticky clay of ploughed fields that has you walking like you're wearing platform
boots, but peaty, oozy stuff that coats everything it touches but slips off the
boot easily. Hard-going to be sure, but great fun for two happy mud-lovers like
ourselves.
Lots of bird watching to keep us all busy of
course, with one of the first birds we saw being a ringtail Hen Harrier using the
cover of the reed beds to throw off some corvid mobbers.
The large observatory at the
Science
Centre is in view for most of the day, which helps greatly with navigation.
Herstmonceux church is having its steeple
recladded with wooden tiles, a lot of which had come down again during the night.
This is when you need a pair of long
gaiters, as it was over a foot deep here.
How to keep your feet dry #1.
On Down Level, near Rickney, looking towards Herstmonceux. Normally it doesn't
look like a lake though!
The
Met office were right again, the sun did come out!
Redwing
The hedgerows were full of
lichen, evidence of the good, clean air hereabouts that we were getting the
benefit of.
The small bridges crossing the sewers are invisible from only a short distance
away,
making navigation of the marshes a bit more ... er... exciting.
Wide-open spaces interspersed with quiet, secret spots, make this area very
special, for people and birds.
The last hour of our walk was after a beautiful sunset ...
... and as we passed through the
Science
Centre one of the observatories was hard at it,
while all around, Tawny owls were starting to get up and at it too. (toowit
tawoo)