Sandwich Bay
We are working in partnership with Dover District Council to deliver the Strategic Access, Mitigation and Monitoring Strategy at Sandwich Bay. The purpose of the SAMMS is to raise awareness of the special birds that depend on the bay and to encourage people to share the bay with wildlife. Our main goal is to try and reduce the impact of recreation, or human activity, upon our internationally important bird populations that live and visit there.
Sandwich Bay is internationally important for wildlife and has a number of environmental designations:
- Thanet Coast & Sandwich Bay Special Protection Area (SPA)
- Sandwich Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
- Thanet Coast & Sandwich Bay Ramsar (wetland of international importance)
- Sandwich to Hacklinge Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
- Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve (NNR)
- Princes’s Beachland Local Nature Reserve (LNR)
There are two specific birds that come and spend winter here which make Thanet Coast and Sandwich Bay a Special Protection Area (SPA). These are the Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) and the European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria). Little terns are also a feature of the SPA designation.
Ruddy turnstone © Brad Foster
Sandwich Bay and Thanet Bay also attracts nationally important wintering populations of three other wader species: ringed plover, grey plover and sanderling, as well as golden plover. Lapland bunting and large numbers of other migratory birds also use the bay.
Ringed plover © Jasmine Beveridge
New houses being built in the area means that it is likely that more people will visit Sandwich Bay. This in turn means that the potential for disturbance to birds and other wildlife in the area also increases. We aim to raise awareness of disturbance issues and encourage people to enjoy and understand the countryside at Sandwich Bay through guided walks, events, and other activities. Our work is funded by developer contributions, paid on any house built within 9 km of the Special Protection Area.
