Season: spring

A warm, hazy light lit the day for this visit.  The tide was out and there was a flattening in the steep shingle beach by the waterside.  The bay has a fine arc to it, with cafes and shops to hand at the top of the beach.  This is a local beach, well-supported and a favourite with anglers.  The halcyon commercial days of the twelfth century are long gone, due to the silting up of the old harbour many years ago, but Pevensey is still proud of its Cinque Port history and tradition.

Catch or no catch, the pleasure of being on the beach for Ross.

The scene at Pevensey Bay on a warm, hazy day.

Season: winter

Oddly in these times of rising sea levels and eroding coastlines, the constant erosion of Beachy Head at Eastbourne has allowed the pebbles to build up here.  Pevensey is an old fishing village, located at the end of the sea wall that runs from Eastbourne . Even now it is only just above sea level and at high tide in the winter the sea sometimes breaks through the sea defences.  To the North East, the Pevensey Levels are a natural haven for wild birds, flowers and animals. The area is very flat and still marshy, with many areas flooding in the winter.  Pevensey itself is a popular tourist attraction, featuring the nearby historical Pevensey Castle.

How the beach provides a steady supplement to Frank, as well as being a tonic.

The scene by the beach on a bright winter’s day.