{"id":7019,"date":"2024-10-24T14:50:35","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T14:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/?p=7019"},"modified":"2024-11-06T10:21:05","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T10:21:05","slug":"porlock-marshs-coastal-habitat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebestofexmoor.co.uk\/blog\/porlock-marshs-coastal-habitat\/","title":{"rendered":"Porlock Marsh’s Coastal Habitat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Porlock Marsh from the air by Paul Feeney<\/em><\/p>\n

An Exmoor Magazine Feature<\/h3>\n

Exmoor Magazine are working with us to provide a hand-picked selection of articles for you to enjoy, that delve into the landscapes, ecology, history and cultural life of Exmoor. Article is copyright of Exmoor Magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to subscribe to Exmoor Magazine for just \u00a321.50 delivered through your letterbox!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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RANGER NOTES: PORLOCK MARSH<\/h3>\n

by Exmoor National Park Ranger Charlotte Wray, for Exmoor Magazine<\/h4>\n

Exmoor is one of only a handful of National Parks in the UK to boast access to such extensive coastal habitat. From the towering sea cliffs of the Valley of Rocks to the remote inlets at Wringcliff, Glenthorne and Embelle, our border with the great Bristol Channel helps to tell the story of Exmoor’s past as a centre for the transport and trade of iron ore and lime. With the Mineral Line at Roadwater, the lime kilns cropping up at regular intervals along the coast and the partially completed Simonsbath to Porlock Railway, we see how this major waterway has shaped Exmoor’s past. But it’s not only in the story of Exmoor’s past that the Bristol Channel is a key protagonist; it is shaping the present and future of our story, too.<\/p>\n

\"PorlockPorlock Marsh boardwalk by Jack Clegg<\/em><\/p>\n

In 1996, the remnants of Hurricane Lili, which had caused catastrophic damage to parts of Cuba, the Bahamas and the US, reached the UK. Wind speeds of up to 87mph were recorded in the Solent in Hampshire and these ravaged the coasts of the UK.<\/p>\n

The already vulnerable shingle ridge at Porlock was overcome with tidal water, which flooded the land to its south, and the resulting breach was caused by the sheer force of water attempting to exit the marsh with the falling tide. This massive event changed the future of Porlock Marsh and led to it being a case study in active tidal processes.<\/p>\n

\"PorlockPorlock Marsh from Porlock Common by Paul Feeney<\/em><\/p>\n

Today’s marsh is a dynamic habitat; walk along the ridge at low tide and you will see the only salt marsh in Exmoor \u2013 glasswort and sea blite covering vast swathes of once-productive farmland. Saltwater channels criss-cross the land and bird life appears limited to those that call the scrub and hedgerows of the southern boundary of the marsh home, including chiffchaff, blackcap and whitethroat.<\/p>\n

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