Having recently spent time on the West Sussex coast at surfers favourite Blacklesham Bay and the stunning West Wittering, another local gem we discovered is the wonderful East Head. Managed by the National Trust, it’s a fast moving natural sand and shingle spit set amongst a rare and fragile sand-dune habitat. At low tide you might even find fossilised shells dating back 53 million years. Situated a stones throw away from West Wittering (at the far end of the beach car park), East Head’s distinct habitat provides a home for a huge range of unusual plants and wildlife. It’s also been used as a film location for the likes of ‘The Eagle Has Landed’, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and ‘Waking the Dead’.
East Head is a wonderful spot for a walk even at this time of year. It’s said to be one of the best beaches in Sussex and the views are magnificent whichever way you look. The marram grass is the lifeblood of the dunes as it traps the sand and binds the dune together with its roots. If you’re lucky you might also spot tracks left by lizards in the sand with skylarks above. Grey seals are found on occasions in the waters at East Head too with new seal pups born around May time.
The day we visited it was bitterly cold but we were treated to glorious sunshine and mile upon mile of beach. The landscape at East Head is superb, I can imagine it’s a popular spot for sunbathing and sand castle making in the warmer months. There’s so much to see here, we’ll definitely need to return for a proper look around. It looks like there is much to explore.
[…] made a few trips to different beaches in Sussex over the past few weeks. It’s a good time of year to do it as it means we can find […]