3.1: The
site in the wider perspective
Gibraltar Point comprises the north west
corner of the Wash and the habitats and
species are continuous. Thus the reserve achieves conservation designations as part
of the Wash and also for a range within the Wash of individual characteristics. The NNR
is covered under the Wash European Marine site, SAC, SPA, and Ramsar. Gibraltar
Point, as part of the Wash is a major staging post for non-breeding waterbirds on the
east-coast flyway.
From a botanical perspective, some saltmarsh
species are at the northern limit of their
range, whilst the same is true for certain invertebrates.
The NNR is part of an extensive SSSI covering
an additional ----- of dune habitat on the
Seacroft golf course to the west and additional ---- dune, saltmarsh and foreshore to the
north at Seacroft.
Together with the Saltfleetby - Theddlethorpe
Dunes NNR it constitutes most of the
native UK Hippophae scrub resource and both sites are considered a candidate SAC for
this feature amongst others. The two sites are the largest examples of sand
dune/saltmarsh complexes on the Lincolnshire coast. Along the coastal strip between
the two sites, relict dunes with sea buckthorn scrub occur at Chapel and Anderby. An
area of dune scrub at Winthorpe was lost to a caravan park in the mid 1990’s.
The proximity of the reserve to Skegness
town ensures a high number of visitors,
associated with the holiday season in particular. Whilst there is a resident population of
c 15,000, up to 80,000 may occur during the summer season. The area of dune and
saltmarsh between the NNR boundary and Seacroft town absorbs much pressure from
visitors at an apparently sustainable level. Aside from holidaymakers, resident dog-
walkers use the reserve in large numbers particularly during the summer period when
beach restrictions are in force on the NNR and the Skegness blue flag beach. This part
of the coast is under ELDC ownership and there is no pro-active management.
Some 160 acres of the Gibraltar Point
dune system is occupied by the Seacroft golf
course. The management of this area has been consistent with golfing aims including
rough mowing programmes and wide scale scrub removal. Rabbits have been
intensively controlled. The sward is botanically rich over much of the dune. The
management of dune grassland on the golf course and the NNR permits an interesting
comparison. The water table is presumably contiguous with that on the NNR, but much
of the golf course slack is under mature scrub, open areas have resulted for turf
stripping and sand-winning. One area may prove suitable for colonisation by the
natterjack toad.
A largely arable hinterland lies to the
west where even in recent years; farm drains have
been filled to increase field size to economise farm operations. The associated loss of
field headland, dykes and hedges and ploughing of autumn stubble for winter crops have
rendered the land less favourable for once common animals, plants and birds. There is
no public access across farmland to Gibraltar Road.
The roadside fields (6 & 10) are owned
by the Croftmarsh Estate (the Trust attempted to
negotiate their purchase in 1999). Having been in long-term set- aside the resultant
open grassland provides a high landscape value on the approach to the NNR. The
landowners have been encouraged to graze the land with sheep and their nature
conservation value is increasing. Field 6 is quite marginal land and Hippophae is actively
encroaching from the margins. Whilst in the Coastal Conservation Zone, there is a
strong likelihood of a future attempt at housing development. Examples of recent
planning anomalies are not hard to find in the vicinity.
To the south Tennyson's Sands and Jackson's
Marsh have been the subject of habitat
creation schemes targeting brackish lagoon, reedbed and coastal grassland. A further
30 ha of Croftmarsh extending to Cowbank drain is also destined for conversion from
arable.
