Hunstanton Cliffs
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TF675420 | — | Favourable | 4.64 | 2023-04-19 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Cretaceous · Rock Type: Chalk
Landscape processes: Coastal
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| fulmar | Breeding |
Description
Area, 4.5 hectares 11.1 ac Description A classic and much quoted locality for the Red Chalk and the underlying Carstone which contains an exceptionally rich Albian ammonite fauna. This is an important locality for the study of the sedimentology of these normally poorly exposed formations, in the area where the Carstone is thickly developed. The site also provides the best exposure of the Upper Cretaceous Ferriby Chalk Formation in Norfolk. The Cenomanian Chalk includes a regionally important marker horizon, the Paradoxica Band and a calcarenite “coarse grained” bed near the top of the section resembling the Totternhoe Stone of the Chilterns. A key site showing a condensed Lower–Upper Cretaceous Albian–Cenomanian sequence important for both research and field education. Additional biological interest is provided by a breeding colony of fulmar on the cliff face. This is the largest colony on the east coast of England, south of Flamborough Head.
Species mentioned
Show the 1 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| fulmar | Fulmarus glacialis | CR (Breeding) | bird-fulmar | procellariidae |