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Widewater has special (SNCI) status as a
unique
Saline Lagoon.
It is one of the areas of
Sussex that is the subject of an Action Plan
by the Sussex Biodiversity Partnership.
A
downloadable PDF file is available
via the action plan link giving full details of saline lagoons in the UK
The brackish lagoon was formed in about 1840 when an embankment was constructed from ground on the south side the
coast road. The shingle bank on the right was formed by longshore
drift, it extended across the mouth of the river Adur and formed
the
present harbour.
A breach through the
bank is now the harbour
entrance.
[ see map] [ aerial
photo]
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| The Lagoon one September
showery day in 2001 |
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The aquatic life of Widewater
lagoon is covered in more detail
on
Andy
Horton's Widewater Lagoon pages |
| Memories
of Widewater |
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Most of the northern
embankment has been developed, as seen here, but there are small
pockets of land where clumps of Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and
Hawthorn (Crategus monogyna) have established.
The ground cover in these
gaps consists of a mix of plants and grasses including Nettles, Cow
Parsley and Goosegrass (Galium aparine).
The southern, shore side
embankment is grassy with clumps of wind-stunted shrubs such as Elm and
Hawthorn.
Teasel, Coltsfoot, Burdock,
Smooth Hawk's Beard, Prickly Oxtongue, Sea Mayweed, Pineapple Mayweed,
Common Fleabane are among the many herbaceous plants growing in the
well-drained, exposed conditions. |
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Incoming Autumn
Migrating Painted
Ladies (Vanessa cardui) apreciate the clumps of Fleabane as a
their first meal on British soil
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In August 2000 a large influx of
Clouded
Yellow butterflies (Colias croceus) appeared in Shoreham and Lancing.
Many of them were sighted on the vegetated area of the Laggon.
Similar sightings were reported over much of southern England.
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