Lytham Coastal Changes
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD334275 | — | Favourable | 1.41 | 2024-02-08 |
| SD339294 | — | Favourable | 0.36 | 2024-02-08 |
| SD352274 | — | Favourable | 2.26 | 2024-02-08 |
| SD378285 | — | Favourable | 17.65 | 2024-02-08 |
| SD383278 | — | Favourable | 1.09 | 2024-02-08 |
| SD383280 | — | Favourable | 0.34 | 2024-02-08 |
| SD383282 | — | Favourable | 1.76 | 2024-02-08 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Peat habitats store centuries of carbon and depend on a stable, waterlogged water table. Warmer, drier summers dry out peat, making it far more vulnerable to wildfire and to carbon release — a pressure that can undo years of restoration work regardless of how well the site is otherwise managed.
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: Quaternary
Landscape processes: Coastal, Peatland / Mire
Description
Description Lytham Coastal Changes consists of four separate locations within the town of Lytham St Anne’s. The geological interest is preserved in sediments beneath the top soil and sand dunes of the area and provides a record of sea level changes which occurred during the Holocene. Lytham St Anne’s is the type locality for the transgressive and regressive overlap sequence of coastal changes in north west England during the Holocene. It demonstrates the pattern of relative sea level changes for the area and also provides a baseline for wider correlation of sea level variations in Britain. Together, a group of four sites at Fairhaven Dunes, Main Drain and Lytham Dock, Witch Wood and Government Offices provide the basic stratigraphic record of coastline changes, represented by alternating organic and inorganic deposits. At Fairhaven Dunes marine sediments overlie a peat horizon and provide evidence for coastline change at about 8390 years BP. At Lytham Dock to Eastham Bridge five separate coastline changes are recorded between about 7605 years BP and 5775 years BP. At Witch Wood four changes are recorded between 4690 years BP and 1375 years BP. At Government Offices coastline changes are recorded over a timespan between about 8575 and 4895 years BP.