Horsey Dunes
Encyclopedia
Horsey Dunes is an extensive dune
system on the east coast of Norfolk
, England
. It is owned by the National Trust
and is within the Norfolk Coast AONB
. It is sometimes known as Horsey Gap. To the south is the adjacent SSSI Winterton Dunes
- it is possible to walk from one to the other.
The site is notable for a large colony of Grey Seal
s which breed there each winter.
The site, together with the adjoining Winterton Dunes
, hosts the largest colonies of Dark Green Fritillary
and Grayling
butterflies in Norfolk. Other butterflies recorded from here in numbers include Small Copper
and Common Blue
.
The site has been subject to illegal raves in the past, which have significantly harmed the butterfly population.
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
system on the east coast of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
and is within the Norfolk Coast AONB
Norfolk Coast AONB
The Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers over 450 km2 of coastal and agricultural land from the The Wash in the west through coastal marshes and cliffs to the sand dunes at Winterton in the east....
. It is sometimes known as Horsey Gap. To the south is the adjacent SSSI Winterton Dunes
Winterton Dunes
Winterton Dunes is an extensive dune system on the east coast of Norfolk, England, which has been designated as a National Nature Reserve and is within the Norfolk Coast AONB....
- it is possible to walk from one to the other.
The site is notable for a large colony of Grey Seal
Grey Seal
The grey seal is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a large seal of the family Phocidae or "true seals". It is the only species classified in the genus Halichoerus...
s which breed there each winter.
The site, together with the adjoining Winterton Dunes
Winterton Dunes
Winterton Dunes is an extensive dune system on the east coast of Norfolk, England, which has been designated as a National Nature Reserve and is within the Norfolk Coast AONB....
, hosts the largest colonies of Dark Green Fritillary
Dark Green Fritillary
The Dark Green Fritillary is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.The insect has a wide range in the Palearctic ecozone - Europe, Morocco, Iran , Siberia, Central Asia, China, Korea and Japan.-Subspecies:...
and Grayling
Grayling (butterfly)
The Grayling is a species in the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae. It sometimes occurs in coastal areas of northeast Scotland such as the Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve. It can also be found near the coast around England, such as Fire Beacon Hill...
butterflies in Norfolk. Other butterflies recorded from here in numbers include Small Copper
Small Copper
The Small Copper, American Copper, or the Common Copper is a butterfly of the Lycaenids or gossamer-winged butterfly family.- Description :thumb|left|Larva...
and Common Blue
Common Blue
The Common Blue is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae, widespread over much of the Palaearctic. Recently, Polyommatus icarus was discovered in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada by Ara Sarafian, an amateur entomologist who observed the butterfly from 2005 to 2008...
.
The site has been subject to illegal raves in the past, which have significantly harmed the butterfly population.
Coastal Significants
The Horsey Gap is very important to the protection of the Broads due to that fact it used to be the mouth of the river Thurne. This explains its heavy fortifications, the people of Norfolk have known about this for a long while, this can be seen in this tradition poem:- When the tide comes in at the Horsey Gap
- without a previous warning.
- A swan will build it's rushy nest
- on the roof of the Swan at HorningHorningHorning is an ancient village and parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of 11 km2 and had a population of 1,033 in the 2001 census. Horning parish lies on the northern bank of the River Bure south of the River Thurne and is located in the The Broads National Park...
- And a balderheaded crow, contened and merry,
- shall feast on the corpses
- that float by the ferry