By Laura Ross
Communications Officer, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
Walking around the edge of what is quite clearly an industrial estate in Rye Harbour village, it’s difficult to imagine you’re only a few minutes away from tranquillity. Yet, beneath the Willow trees and Bramble bushes, an unassuming path leads to the entrance of our newly reopened boardwalk and viewpoint at Castle Water. As the sunshine illuminates the swaying reeds, and the grunts and squeals of a Water Rail punctuate the silence, it’s not hard to see why this place has been missed by the local community. Just under a year ago, it was sadly closed as the wooden structure was beyond repair and unsafe for public use.
So began a project to bring it back to its former glory, headed by Ranger, David King. I began by asking him why it's so special. “It’s an elevated viewpoint over our big reedbed and a beautiful, scenic view. Reeds grow 6-8ft high and if you were on ground level you’d just be looking at a bank of reeds, not able to see over the top of it. Having this elevation allows you to see a long, long way”.
The original boardwalk was constructed around 15 years ago. However, standing in water, it was always going to be a challenge to maintain the wood. This time round, the team have had to be inventive with how they’ve approached the new design and build. “The new boardwalk takes a shorter route, so there's only around a quarter of the length to maintain. The wood has also been secured to galvanised metal brackets and these have been set into concrete, to stop the wood contacting the soil and retaining moisture. This will reduce the risk of the wood rotting” explained David.
Listening to David listing off the different species he’s been lucky enough to see here, it’s like a who’s who of the bird world. From Marsh Harriers and Bearded Tits to Kingfisher and Cetti’s Warbler, Bittern and Firecrest. “It’s a really good place to do birdwatching, but people will also come up here for a picnic because it’s a lovely, peaceful spot”. And when does he like it best? “I love it at sunset in winter, because you’re looking out to the setting sun and the reedbed turns golden”.
On behalf of the team at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, we would like to say a big thank you to Rangers, David King and Claire Oughtred, along with our Lederman Trainee Rangers, Pip Newby and Abi Haidemenos. They have been supported all the way by a devoted group of volunteers who have also given their time and energy to making this happen. Thank you to you all too!
If you would like to discover the viewpoint at Castle Water, the 'what3words' for the path entrance are rummage.escapes.haunt. Alternatively, you can pick up a map from the Discovery Centre or find it at point 15 here.
This post is also available on Sussex Wildlife Trust website
