Samphire Hoe
Eurotunnel
Over the past 25 years the area around Samphire Hoe has been transformed from open sea to industrial worksite before becoming one of the most exciting areas of parkland in the country. This transformation has seen the park win the coveted Green Flag Award again this year for the fifth year running.
The park has an unusual history. Samphire Hoe was created from the soil dug up during the construction of the Channel Tunnel. The soil was a mixture of chalk and clay known as chalk marl and around 4.9 million cubic metres of this chalk marl was removed and deposited in special lagoons, surrounded by a sea wall. By 1993, this had produced 30 hectares of new land.
The new park is owned by Eurotunnel but managed in partnership with the White Cliffs Countryside Project. It is home to a great nature reserve which attracts a huge number of visitors each year, despite its secluded location. Visitor surveys show that the park attracts around 100,000 a year which is a notable achievement considering the park has no obvious local community.
Special safety measures
However, the location does provide problems. Safety on the sea wall is an issue and a computerized warning system has been installed which displays red flags to stop people going on the wall when the waves are too high. Another problem is salt water which, in some areas, drenches the vegetation. Special textiles have been used as a barrier, many salt-resistant plants have been added and the park recreates the sort of chalk grassland which is found locally. The site is now home to at least 198 species of plant and the site has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. There are also a huge number of birds on the site.
Staff at Samphire Hoe do an enormous amount of work to turn the site into what they describe as “a focal point” for the local community. There are a variety of children’s events including rockpooling, creating pavement art and making models of animals and plants found on the site. Special days are also organized to look at peregrine falcons or sea birds. And there are fun events like the spooky Halloween walk and later this year, 800 French children will visit the park to celebrate the first cross-channel flight by Bleriot 100 years ago.
Volunteers are key to the park’s work and regularly help at the site in a variety of ways: doing wildlife surveys, fixing things and helping clean the beach or cut bramble.
Paul Holt, a Ranger in the area and Senior Project Officer, is proud of the high standards of safety and cleanliness that the park offers. “If there is any dog mess, people pick it up and, looking across the site, you won’t see a scrap of litter. And the site has deliberately been designed so that there are few areas that are hidden from view.”
Because of the unusual nature of the site, the Green Flag Award has been particularly welcome. Holt explains: “It gives us a lot of prestige. This isn’t a normal municipal park, but we feel that our role is just as valid as any urban park. It’s great to get recognition of our work.”