Hastings Country Park was formed in 1974 and covers east of

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

in England. Sandstone cliffs, glens covered with gorse and trees, footpaths, nature trails, picnic areas and ample car parking are some of the features at the country park. Set in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is also a Local Nature Reserve as Hastings Country Park & Fairlight Place Farm. An area of has been designated Hastings Cliffs

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 ...

. Most of the park is in Hastings Cliffs to Pett Beach

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

and it is also part of Hastings Cliffs

and Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay

Special Protection Area A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certa ...

. Two areas in the park are

Geological Conservation Review The Geological Conservation Review (GCR) is produced by the UK's Joint Nature Conservation Committee and is designed to identify those sites of national and international importance needed to show all the key scientific elements of the geological ...

sites.

History

The park supported considerable human activity in prehistoric times. Archaeological finds and landmarks date from Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Romano-British, Saxon, Medieval, post-Medieval, Victorian to World War II periods. A large majority of the park has been identified as an Area of Archaeological Interest, within which, a large area of the East Hill is a designated Ancient Monument.

Wildlife

Many rare and scarce

liverworts The Marchantiophyta () are a division of non-vascular land plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of ...

, mosses and lichens occur within the ghylls or ravines. Peregrines, black redstarts and fulmars breed on the cliffs. Dartford warblers, stonechats and yellowhammers breed on the gorse-covered hillsides. Many migrants pass through the site in spring and autumn and usually include a few rarities such as Sardinian warbler, red-rumped swallow, and

Pallas's leaf warbler Pallas's leaf warbler (''Phylloscopus proregulus'') or Pallas's warbler, is a bird that breeds in mountain forests from southern Siberia east to northern Mongolia and northeast China. It is named for German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas, who fi ...

, which have all occurred in recent years.

References

External links

Wild HastingsFriends of Hastings Country Park
{{SSSIs East Sussex Country parks in East Sussex Sites of Special Scientific Interest in East Sussex Local Nature Reserves in East Sussex Nature Conservation Review sites Special Areas of Conservation in England

Country Park A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment. United Kingdom History In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a special meaning. There are around 250 recognised cou ...

History

Wildlife

See also

References

External links