East Beach Pond

East Beach Pond is an oasis of nature and tranquility with mature trees offering shade on hot sunny days. The pond and surrounding land is rich in plant life with 30 species of trees and shrubs including Mulberries planted in commemoration of the D-Day Mulberry Harbours, 129 species of wildflowers and 27 species of grasses, sedges and rushes. This plant diversity benefits a wide range of bird and invertebrate species while creating a place in the town for relaxation and exploration.

 

Try and spot some of the wildlife that make their home in and around East Beach Pond with our East Beach Pond Wildlife Hunt

A Gold Award winner of South and South East in Bloom, East Beach Pond strikes a balance between being a conservation area managed for the benefit of the wildlife and an open space that is well used by residents and visitors alike. 

In this relaxed area there are plenty of benches for you to sit and watch the variety of wildlife, including birds nesting undisturbed on the island in the centre of the pond. Damselfly and dragonfly are regular visitors and if you sit quietly and still you may even be able to glimpse one of Britain’s most timid and endangered mammals, the Water Vole.

One special seat you can find in this area is that of the In Remembrance Seal, designed by Chichester College art students Nicholas Binns and Ruby Moffat. This seat is planted amoung the Mulberry bushes and commemorates Selsey's role in World Wars I & II. Funded by a public arts grant, these seals form an interactive walk created to promote the exploration of Selsey and it's rich culture, heritage and natural habitats. Follow the full trail via Selsey Seal Art Trail.

Selsey Model Boat club sail on the pond regularly and Manhood Classic Cars meet in the car park every third Sunday of the month, making this a hub of community activity waiting to be explored.

As a haven for wildlife and fowl including mute swans, mallards, herons and Canada geese, it is all too tempting to take the kids to feed the ducks. Please do not be tempted to bring along bread though as this can make the ducks ill - it does not have the right nutrition or calories that they need to survive and makes then think they are full so that they don't eat the food that they do need. Bread also pollutes the water, causing surface algae which can kill fish and spread diseases in the fowl population. The following are recommended alternatives that are better for them to eat than bread:

• Grapes that have been deseeded and cut in half

• Birdseed

• Chopped lettuce

• Cracked corn, oats and other grain

• Frozen peas or sweetcorn that have been defrosted

Try to vary what you feed them, so they get a good mixed diet. 

Please noter that a byelaw is in place in this area prohibiting fishing on the pond. There is a maximum fine of £1000.00.