Pagham Harbour is a biological and geological
Site of Special Scientific Interest on the western outskirts of
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis (), sometimes simply known as Bognor (), is a town and seaside resort in West Sussex on the south coast of England, south-west of London, west of Brighton, south-east of Chichester and east of Portsmouth. Other nearby to ...
in
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an a ...
.
It is a
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 ...
site, a
Nature Conservation Review
''A Nature Conservation Review'' is a two-volume work by Derek Ratcliffe, published by Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of E ...
site,
[ a ]Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
** 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 cert ...
and a Marine Conservation Zone. An area of is a Local Nature Reserve.
The harbour forms an area of saltmarsh and shallow lagoons. It is not an estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
, as no major streams enter the harbour with the only freshwater inflow a few small streams draining surrounding fields.
History
In earlier times Pagham Harbour was a working harbour with three ports. One port was situated at the western end, of the harbour near Sidlesham Mill, and was known as Wardur. The port of Charlton was at the entrance to the harbour and the third was on the Pagham
Pagham is a coastal village and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, England, with a population of around 6,100. It lies about two miles to the west of Bognor Regis.
Governance
Pagham is part of the electoral ward called Pagham ...
side of the harbour and was known as the Port of Wythering (Wyderinges).
The port of Wardur was part of 'New Haven' a development in the Middle Ages.[ The Port of Wythering was overrun by the sea in the 13th century and the whole harbour eventually silted up and ceased to be navigable, except for small craft.
An attempt was made to drain the harbour for farming in c. 1873 with an embankment constructed across the edge of the lagoon to hold back the sea; this failed during a storm in December 1910 and was not reconstructed.]
Pagham Harbour today
Pagham Harbour today, is one of the few undeveloped stretches of the Sussex coast. It has a sheltered inlet. The harbour is designated as a nature reserve and is an internationally important wetland site for wildlife. It is in size.
Notes
References
External links
RSPB information on site.Special Protection Area designationPagham Harbour photos and information
{{Local Nature Reserves in West Sussex
Arun District
Environment of West Sussex
Geological Conservation Review sites
Local Nature Reserves in West Sussex
Nature Conservation Review sites
Ports and harbours of West Sussex
Ramsar sites in England
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in West Sussex
Special Protection Areas in England