Chichester Harbour Trust is delighted to announce that it has successfully purchased two new areas of land in Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, securing their permanent protection.
The first is a 25-acre arable field to the east of Prinsted Lane, in the parish of Southbourne, which forms an important part of the landscape and setting of the northern part of the harbour. The field lies 100m from the shoreline and is framed by mature trees and hedgerows, and is crossed by two public footpaths linking it to the coastal path. It is greatly enjoyed by local people and forms a key part in maintaining the rural character of the parish. Funds were raised by the Chichester Harbour Trust to purchase the land, with generous contributions from the local community, Southbourne Parish Council, and the Garfield Weston Foundation. The land will be protected permanently from inappropriate use, and will continue to form part of the farmed landscape of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The second land purchase completed recently by the Trust is a historically important area of intertidal land at Pook Lane, Warblington. This site contains the remains of a post-medieval oyster wharf. The Trust hopes to carry out research to find out more about the local historical importance of this feature.
John Nelson, Chairman of the Chichester Harbour Trust, said “these acquisitions secure a milestone for the Trust in protecting these sites for the future; not only are they of high priority in landscape and historic terms, but strategically they are important in maintaining the beauty, setting and environment of the AONB”.
John Nelson added that; “we are grateful to the harbour community and local stakeholders for their support in helping us to achieve our mission of protecting this nationally important and unique protected landscape for future generations to enjoy. We are now re-doubling our efforts to raise funds to increase our reserves – enabling us to continue to identify and purchase land to ensure the permanent protection of the harbour”.
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