Tankerton Slopes is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in

Whitstable Whitstable () is a town on the north coast of Kent adjoining the convergence of the Swale Estuary and the Greater Thames Estuary in southeastern England, north of Canterbury and west of Herne Bay. The 2011 Census reported a population of ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. It is part of the Tankerton Slopes and

Swalecliffe Swalecliffe is a part of the ribbon development of the north Kent coast between Whitstable and Herne Bay in Southeast England. It forms Swalecliffe ward of City of Canterbury Council. History The Doomsday book provides an early record of Swal ...

Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...

This north facing slope has a population of tall herbs, including the largest population in Britain of hog’s fennel, a nationally rare

umbellifer Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus '' Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plant ...

. Fauna include '' agonopterix putridella'', a nationally rare moth whose larvae feed exclusively on hog's fennel. There is access to the site from Tankerton Beach. The height of Tankerton slopes vary across the site, but are approximately 50 feet (15 metres) high when measured from the promenade or 66 feet (20 metres) in elevation from sea level. The bottom of the slope is fronted by

Beach hut A beach hut (also known as a beach cabin, beach box or bathing box) is a small, usually wooden and often brightly coloured, box above the high tide mark on popular bathing beaches. They are generally used as a shelter from the sun or wind, chan ...

s, and has a promenade that runs from

that is popular with dog walkers and cyclists. At the top of the slope to the West is a beacon that works by having a wood-based fire in a basket that is on top of a long wooden post. The site also offers a view in the distance of the "red sands"

Maunsell Forts The Maunsell Forts are armed towers built in the Thames and Mersey estuaries during the Second World War to help defend the United Kingdom. They were operated as army and navy forts, and named after their designer, Guy Maunsell. The forts were ...

of the

Thames Estuary The Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain. Limits An estuary can be defined according to different criteria (e.g. tidal, geographical, navigational or in terms of salini ...

, the forty five wind turbines of

Kentish Flats Offshore Wind Farm The Kentish Flats Offshore Wind Farm is a wind farm located off the coast of Kent, England on a large, flat and shallow plateau just outside the main Thames shipping lanes. The wind farm is operated by Vattenfall. Location The distance from the ...

, the

Isle of Sheppey The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England, neighbouring the Thames Estuary, centred from central London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the local government district of Swale. ''Sheppey'' is derive ...

and at the West-end "The Street" a " Spit of land" that appears at low-tide and allows walking 750 meters into the sea

Gallery

File:The Lees Tankerton Kent.jpg, Tinted photograph on postcard dated around 1905-1914 showing "The Leas" File:Beach Huts Alley - geograph.org.uk - 502881.jpg, Colourful rows of wooden huts on the grassy slopes of "Tankerton slopes" below Marine Parade File:Sunset from Tankerton Slopes towards Sheppey - geograph.org.uk - 1564606.jpg, Sunset from Tankerton Slopes towards Sheppey - geograph.org.uk - 1564606 File:Tankerton Beacon (geograph 2042331).jpg, Tankerton Beacon File:Whitstable Street - shingle spit (geograph 6430070).jpg, Tankerton Slopes as seen from "The Street"

References

{{SSSIs Kent Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Kent Special Areas of Conservation in England