Walton le Soken Marshes (EHER 48490)

A small rectangle of surviving marshland on the south side of Hamford Water, with sea wall and borrow dyke demarcating its eastern side and straightened drainage ditches on its other sides. Flora includes Hog’s Fennel Peucedanum.

2014. Historic Grazing Marsh Project. Historic environment character: This small unimproved area is part of the larger Walton Le Soken grazing marsh. The sea wall is still on the same alignment to that of the 1st edition OS map. Very few features associated with the grazing marsh are still visible, other than the sea wall and borrow dyke. A sluice is recorded on the 1st edition OS map. Character of vegetation: Dominated by Bent grasses Agrostis spp., Perennial Rye-grass Lolium perenne, Meadow grass Poa spp. and Red fescue Festuca rubra. Very rare Hog’s fennel Peucedanum officinale (found only in the local area and in Kent) on far side bank of eastern borrow dyke. Threats: Threatened by further agricultural improvement and flooding. Shoreline Management Plan: Hold the line to 2105. See <2>.