Number 28!

Martello Tower No. 28, Rye Harbour, Icklesham – Rother.

Martellos, or Martello Towers are small defensive forts first built in the South East of England  during the Napoleonic War between {1805 and 1808.} They were built throughout the British Empire, in 5 different continents, during the first half of the 19th Century.

On-line it says only 45 of the Matellos still remain but some are in ruins others have been converted into homes.

Each Tower had a number this is Martello Tower No.28 at Rye Harbour which is a ruin.

Today’s residents and there are are lots of them. The sounds of them cooing echo out of the windows of the tower.

Pevensey Castle.

Pevensey Castle dates back to the 4th century as one of the last and strongest of the Roman ‘Saxon Shore’ forts, It is also famously the landing place of William the Conqueror’s army in 1066 & the Battle of Hastings which most school children have drilled into them in the UK. {or we did in my day!} Situated in East Sussex, the grounds give space to roam safely in these difficult times. A great place to stop off on our 2 day trip.

Sign at the castle which shows the castle today.

Greylag goose.

I rarely see Greylag’s near home but there were large numbers at Winchelsea near Hastings while we were away earlier in the week.

UK breeding population :46,000 pairs

UK wintering:140,000 British-breeding birds and 88,000 from Iceland

Hastings Strade.

Further picture of the fishing boats at Hastings. With lockdown easing we felt it was safe enough to take a couple of nights away in our camper-van. We went down the coast to the east to Hastings.

Hastings is one of Britain’s oldest fishing ports, but there is no harbour. Boats have worked from the beach in front of the ancient town for over a thousand years.

The Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society preserves the fishing community’s medieval right to carry on using that beach – known as the Stade.

The beach known as the Stade has about 25 boats, It is the largest beach-launched fishing fleet in Britain.

Old tractors and Bulldozers are used to push the boats down the beach and pull them back up. The whole area has a charm which lends it’s self to photographing a different way of life.

Fish is sold from little sheds at the top of the beach. There is some strong feelings about number10 and how our Government has failed to support our fishing fleets.

The RNLI lifeboat beach launches from the Strade film I took back during a visit in 2018 and also on a stormy day an aborted beach landing.

from my 2018 vist to hastings.

Same spot in poor weather!

Fishing from the beach.

A few nights away which included watching the small fishing fleet on “the Strade” at Hastings.

Not gone yet.

I had not seen the Sanderlings on the beach for a week and thought they had set off for their breeding grounds in the Artic – I was wrong they were back on the shore this afternoon.

Common ringed plover.

no sound.

A lone Ringed Plover on Meon Shore near Titchfield harbour this evening.

Blast from the past.

A Spitfire coming into land at Lee-on-Solent airfield this evening. The airfield was a Royal Naval Air Staion for the Fleet Air Arm established in 1917 as seaplane base for the first World War.

More birds by the sea.

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Another few hours by the sea and a misty start to the day giving an idea that today was going to be a bright day.

As the tide was dropping the gulls were fishing.

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I have not really notice gull feeding by diving into the water but both young Herring Gulls (last years birds) and Black-headed gulls were feeding this way.

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Moorhens normally quite quiet were very fired up today over territory.

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Godwits at rest.

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Avocets – looking like a good year for Avocets this year with large numbers in the reserve (30ish so far).

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Clear run.

A female Roe deer crossing a field.

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