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SUMMER IN SUSSEX
ROCK Sussex is home to some of the best rockpooling spots in the country. Hanna Prince looks at where and how to enjoy this classic summer holiday pastime
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iscovering the mysteries of a rockpool is one of the defining experiences of childhood. For kids, big
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and small, it offers a tantalising window into a murky underwater world – one where elusive shrimp lurk among the seaweed and squishy sea anemones share rock space with barnacles, bristleworms and limpets. In Sussex, we’re lucky enough to have some of the best rockpooling beaches in the country. I can remember blissful summer days spent exploring the cliffs between Hope Gap and Cuckmere Haven, picking through the chalk rubble for fossils and filling a bucket up with
whelks, barnacles and sea urchins. Nowadays I take my kids to the same spot. We go rockpooling year-round – UV suits in summer, waders and waterproof gloves in winter. Asked to choose between a sandy beach and one with plenty of rockpools to dip in, both of them will go for rockpools every time. The best thing about rockpooling, of course, is that anybody can give it a go. Young, old, big, small; all you need is a bucket and a big dollop of enthusiasm. WHEREOCKPOOLING
July 2021 | SUSSEX LIVING 11
