The Pevensey Levels are the largest tract of wetland in East Sussex, an important National Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

To the north and the east they are bounded by the higher ground of the High Weald while, to the south-west, the South Downs dominates the view.

Physical influences

At the end of the last glaciation, about 10,000 years ago, rising sea-levels flooded the lower reaches of the numerous coastal river valleys in the Pevensey area. This resulted in the creation of a tidal estuary with a wide bay. The present Levels were under water.

Over hundreds of years, the Levels gradually changed from saltmarsh to reedy meadows although much of the area was still under water as recently as 700 to 800 years ago.

The first settlements

During the Roman period, the shallow bay contained numerous small clay islands. These provided suitable dry sites for the first Roman settlements and were the origins of many modern day settlements within the Pevensey Levels.

Today, villages such as Northeye and Rickney contain the suffix ‘eye’ - Old English for island.

Agriculture

In the 13th Century, the first fields appeared on the Levels. This reclamation or 'inning' of the land was largely undertaken and financed by local abbeys such as Battle Abbey.

Gradually more of the wetland was reclaimed for agricultural use and the former bay ceased to exist.

Although the Levels have been subject to extensive drainage and improvement for agricultural use, most of the land is used for cattle rather than arable crops. The old drains that divide the fields form barriers to grazing stock movement and hedgerows are infrequent.

Most trees are found on areas of higher ground and only a few windswept trees can be found on the Levels. These are mainly Willow and Hawthorn.

In the 13th century the agricultural land was protected from flooding by the construction of sea defences. They were initially made using brushwood and wooden stakes. In the 14th century Crooked Ditch was constructed.

Further wooden sea defences were constructed in the early 16th century and these were followed by concrete sea walls, first in the early 19th century and then again in the mid-20th century.

In keeping with the conservation approach, landowners on the Pevensey Levels are paid by English Nature to build gates, sluices, scrapes and fencing to protect wildlife. They are also paid not to use fertilisers and chemicals on the land.

A colourful history

Overlooking the Levels, near the coast, is Pevensey Castle. Originally a Roman Fort, it was also used by the Normans and then as a base during the Second World War.

In 1066, Pevensey was the main landing point for King William's Norman invasion. After gathering his troops here, he went on to defeat Harold at Hastings and take the English throne.

The Pevensey Levels contain some of the 74 Martello towers, built as a defence against invasion by the French under Napoleon.

This area was used extensively for smuggling, with contraband being brought inland via the deserted waterways. Although the revenue officers were based at Pevensey, for much of the time they were not very effective against the smugglers. There is a separate section in the Discovery Booklet on smuggling.

The following part of a Rudyard Kipling poem refers to the Pevensey Levels:

Trackway and Camp and City lost,
Salt Marsh where now is corn,
Old Wars, old Peace, old arts that cease,
And so was England born.