When we think of Sussex, we may think of the chalky loftiness of the South Downs, or the soft, musty woodlands of the Weald, but the county is also home to a number of areas of marshlands and wetlands which have their own unique atmosphere and feel. The Pevensey Levels are such a place, only a short distance from Eastbourne and the South Downs and yet they feel refreshingly untamed and remote.
The changing Sussex coast
The Sussex coast has changed a great deal over the centuries, and one of the best places to getting an understanding of just how much is in the Ypres Tower in Rye, where they have an interactive map that lights up to show you the coastline and how it has moved throughout the different eras.
Pevensey and Pevensey Bay is one of those places where the landscape is now pretty much unrecognisable to how it must have looked back in Roman times. Rather than being an area of shingle beach with a large, flat and grassy landscape behind it, back then, the area from just west of Bexhill to Sovereign Harbour near Eastbourne would have been a large and tidal bay.
There was probably some sort of shingle ridge where the current beach is at Pevensey Bay with gaps in it which let ships in at high tide to sail up to the fort (now Pevensey Castle) and moor there. But much of the rest of the area would have been underwater, particularly at high tide.
Within the bay there was a sort of peninsula cum island (on which Pevensey Castle or Fort Anderita was built) and there were a series of tiny islands (such as Rickney, Chilley, Horse Eye and Northeye). The bay went as far inland as the edges of Wartling and Magham Down and if you want to see a map of what it looked like, head to the Pevensey Courthouse Museum in Pevensey village.
It is thought that the first attempts to reclaim the land at Pevensey Levels may have started in the Saxon era after the Romans left whilst the main reclamation was done between the Norman invasion and the great storm of 1287.
The Pevensey Levels today
The Pevensey Levels are now a wetland area. Some of it is farmland and part of it is a nature reserve called Pevensey Marshes which is managed by the Sussex wildlife Trust but not open to the public. The levels include a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Ramsar Site. There is a Pevensey Levels Wetland Restoration Project underway. The good news is that there are also various footpaths across some parts of the levels for exploring
Flora and fauna
If you visit Pevensey Levels, you are struck by its distinct personality. Over the centuries, the area has been a salt marsh, a fresh water marsh and more recently a grazing area. It’s almost completely flat and the grassland is criss crossed with ditches and waterways. As you might expect, apart from sheep and cattle, it is home to a diverse array of wildlife which includes rare aquatic species such as the Fen Raft Spider, aquatic molluscs, dragonfly and aquatic invertebrates and plants. Overhead, you may be lucky enough to spot lapwings, ducks, geese and even marsh harriers.
The area feels remote and whilst in summer, it feels dreamily sleepy, it’s not hard to imagine how bleak it could feel on a bitterly cold winter’s day. As you walk, you stumble across tiny hamlets that used to be the islands of the bay and because there aren’t really any short circular walks, you rarely meet anyone. If you’re in the car, look out for the Chilley Farm Shop to stock up on your local wares or buy eggs fresh from the farm at Rickney.
As you walk, in the distance, you can see the South Downs in one direction and the wind turbines at Eastbourne, whilst in the opposite direction, you can see Hailsham and then the church spire at Herstmonceux and a large (and not very attractive building) that belongs to the owners of Herstmonceux Castle. It’s a quiet and windswept corner of Sussex and well worth a visit.
You can tell the moment you leave the levels, as the landscape abruptly changes and starts to rise, leaving behind reeds and grasses, and slowly transforming into more traditional Sussex countryside. The demarcation is so obvious in fact that you can image a young Saxon lad dragging his boat up what would have been the shore. And as you step back on to terra firma, it’s worth a moment to look across what would have been the water, and imagine the Pevensey bay of yesteryear.
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