East Beach Pond
East Beach Pond is located to the east of Selsey, off Beach and East Beach Roads on the Manhood Peninsula, 8 miles south of Chichester. The pond is bounded by residential properties to the north, south and west and East Beach car park and the sea on the east side.
Historically the site was marshy and a part of Selsey Common. The tram linebetween Chichester and Selsey ran to the south side with ‘Beach’ station (built 1898) approximately where the play area is now. Flooding and coastal erosion forced the closure of the tram line around 1913. The area was at risk of flooding by the sea until a sea wall was built (1955-57). Surface water drainage became a problem when houses, roads and footpaths replaced fields. This resulted in the updateof the drainage system and a small pond was created in 1972. In 2003 the pond was enlarged to the shape and size we see today to cope with the increase of surface water from a new housing development on the north east edge of Selsey. The mature White Willow trees on the island were once on the banks of the original pond. Excess waterflows into the sea at low tide with the pond and car park, if necessary, acting as waterstorage tanks”. Since 2004 East Beach Pond Group (EBPG) an enthusiastic band of volunteers have worked with representatives from Chichester District Council (CDC) and Selsey Town Council to manage the pond site for the benefit of wildlife and the community.
There is a Management Plan (2005) in place. Routine maintenance is carried out by CDC, who own the site, in collaboration with EBPG. Work to transform the barren area, following the enlargement, is currently undertaken every Tuesday afternoon,weather permitting. This includes consultations with local residents, surveys, the planting of trees, shrubs and wild flowers, the design and erection of information boards and stabilisation of the banks with reeds. Local schools have been involved with some of the planting and with the making of bird and bat boxes which have been sited on the island by the group.
The trees include Alder, Lime, Norway Maple, Rowan, Silver Birch, Sycamore and varieties of Willow and Poplar.A tarmac path runs along the south side and there is a netlon path to the north and west sides. Seating and picnic tables are available. It is used by local residents and visitors as a link to the beach, residential areas, shops and as a leisure area. Local fishermen coppice the willows for their baskets, the Selsey Model Boat Club launch their boats on Sunday and Wednesday mornings and community schools are encouraged to “pond dip”. There is a large population of waterfowl, predominately Mallards, but also Mute Swans, Canada Geese, Heron and Common Gulls, the occasional Mandarin and Widgeon, to name but a few. The numbers of waterfowl are far in excess of those that the pond would naturally support which is due to the feeding of bread and corn by visitors. A programme is in place by EBPG to reduce the upplemental feeding, thus decreasing the waterfowl, which in turn would decrease the water pollution and increase the native wildlife to the pond, such as dragonflies, frogs, newts and voles.Car parking is free and refreshments are available just a short walk from the pond during the summer months (March to October) and during the winter months subject to favourable weather conditions. Toilet facilities are located near the play area across the car park.