Medmerry

Major coastal realignment reserve with wetland habitat and circular walking route

The area to the west of Selsey where the largest managed coastal realignment scheme in Europe was completed in 2013. The Environment Agency breached the old sea wall and allowed the sea to flood several hundred acres of low-lying farmland, creating a new intertidal habitat of salt marsh, mud flats and lagoons. The scheme was designed to reduce flood risk to over 300 homes in Selsey while also creating valuable wildlife habitat. The RSPB now manages the Medmerry reserve, and the new wetland has rapidly attracted breeding and wintering birds including avocets, lapwings, little egrets and marsh harriers. A circular walking and cycling path runs around the perimeter of the reserve, offering flat, easy access to the wildlife. The Medmerry scheme is one of the most significant coastal adaptation projects in England and has become a model for managed retreat in the face of rising sea levels.