New wetlands project starts at Landport Brooks

Work has begun by Lewes District Council and the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust on the first phase of a project to restore the wetland habitats of Landport Brooks in Lewes to create a better environment for wildlife. The project will start by reinstating historical ditch features as part of a phased restoration of the floodplain meadow and grazing habitat.

Landport Brooks was once known for having the largest breeding population of common toads in Sussex, but their population has declined over the past 20 years, as the area goes from being inundated with water to completely dry.

Over the next 18 months, the Landport Brooks Restoration Project will restore historical ditches and enhance the marsh landscape by creating shallow pools called scrapes. This will help hold water on the site during the late spring and summer, which will benefit a variety of wildlife and restore much-needed habitats for amphibians. Alongside this, there will be a focus on restoring the Paper Mill Cut, a small chalk stream that runs through the site.

This scheme builds on the success of the Cockshut Restoration Project to the south of the town, which has become an oasis for new flora and fauna and a popular spot for visitors in Lewes.

Conservation grazing with cows is also part of the restoration effort and cattle will be present over the summer and into the autumn.