the Swale
{{Short description|Channel of the Thames Estuary in Kent, UK}}
{{distinguish|River Swale}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox SSSI
|image= Groynes towards Seasalter - geograph.org.uk - 1033231.jpg
|image_caption =
|name= The Swale
|aos= Kent
|interest=Biological
|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|TR 001 665}}
|area= {{convert|6,509.4|ha|acre|abbr=off}}
|map=[http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003678%27 Magic Map]
}}
{{Designation list
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_offname = The Swale
| designation1_date = 17 July 1985
| designation1_number = 299{{Cite web|title=The Swale|website=Ramsar Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/299|access-date=25 April 2018}}
}}
The Swale is a tidal channel of the Thames estuary that separates the Isle of Sheppey from the rest of Kent. On its banks is a {{convert| 6,509.4 |ha|acre|abbr=off|adj=on}} biological Site of Special Scientific Interest which stretches from Sittingbourne to Whitstable in Kent.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1003678&SiteName=swale&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: The Swale | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date =28 February 2018}}{{cite web|url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003678%27|title=Map of The Swale|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= 28 February 2018}} It is also a Ramsar internationally important wetland site{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=UK11071&SiteName=swale&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: The Swale | series= Ramsar Site|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 22 January 2018}} and a Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.{{cite web|url=https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=UK9012011&SiteName=swale&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: The Swale | series= Special Protection Area|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 22 January 2018}} Parts of it are a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I,{{cite book|editor-first=Derek |editor-last=Ratcliffe |title=A Nature Conservation Review|volume=2 |page= 4|publisher= Cambridge University Press|location =Cambridge, UK |year=1977|isbn= 0521-21403-3 }} National Nature Reserves,{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/kents-national-nature-reserves/kents-national-nature-reserves|title=Kent's National Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England|date=2 August 2014|access-date=23 January 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124072455/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/kents-national-nature-reserves/kents-national-nature-reserves|archive-date=24 January 2018}}{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=1006143&SiteName=swale&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: The Swale| series= National Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 22 January 2018}}{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=1007024&SiteName=elmley&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Elmley | series= National Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 23 January 2018}} a Kent Wildlife Trust nature reserve{{cite web |url= http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/reserves/oare-marshes |title= Oare Marshes |publisher= Kent Wildlife Trust |access-date= 22 January 2018 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180123073208/http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/reserves/oare-marshes |archive-date= 2018-01-23 }} and a Local Nature Reserve.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteLNRDetail.aspx?SiteCode=L1009146&SiteName=swale&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title= Designated Sites View: South Bank of the Swale |series=Local Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England |access-date= 22 January 2018}}
History
The name "Swale" is Old English in origin, and is believed to mean "swirling, rushing river", or "rushing water".{{Citation
| last = Ekwall
| first = Eilert
| author-link = Eilert Ekwall
| title = The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names
| place = Oxford
| publisher = OUP
| year = 1960
| edition = 4th
| page = 455
| isbn = 978-0-19-869103-7}}. {{Citation
| last = Mills
| first = A. D.
| title = A Dictionary of English Place-Names
| place = Oxford
| publisher = OUP
| year = 1998
| edition = 2nd
| page = 335 }}. While Ekwall takes the origin of this name to be identical with that of the Yorkshire river, Mills says it is "probably identical".
=Peri-glacial period=
At these times the Swale was a gully from what had been a sea channel in very warm periods. Namely before the Strait of Dover had swept away so much swampy land, accentuated by sea levels being lower, even to beyond the end of the ice age, i.e. in the mid seventh millennium BC, the coasts of Essex and Kent stretched much further into the North Sea. Sheppey formed part of mainland Britain. The Swale was a valley opening eastwards. As sea-levels rose again, water occupied its whole length. It and the very mouth of the Medway divide the Isle of Sheppey from the mainland.
=Roman Warm Period=
When the Romans arrived in Britain, the Swale was much wider, with one part of the Isle of Sheppey — now called the Isle of Harty or Harty — a separate island.
=Former ferries=
Dredging and channel traffic
The channel needs constant dredging for busy recreational and light vessel use.
Bridges
The Swale is crossed at its western end by two bridges: the Kingsferry Bridge and the later Sheppey Crossing.
Nature
File:Oare4381e.JPG on the Kent Wildlife Trust reserve at Oare Marshes]]
File:Longest Day3 over the Swale.jpg
The Swale forms both a National Nature Reserve and a Special Protection Area: the eel grass, Ray's knotgrass, white seakale, glassworts and golden samphire support rare and uncommon migrant butterflies and moths, including the Essex emerald, the ground lackey, the clouded yellow butterfly and rare hawk-moths.
Since 1968, it has also been a Site of Special Scientific Interest.{{cite web|url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003678.pdf |title=SSSI The Swale| publisher=www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk |year=1968 |access-date=12 November 2013 }}
= Birds =
The Swale provides habitats for the following birds:
- Pied avocet at least 17 percent of Great Britain's breeding population
- Marsh harrier at least 15 percent of Great Britain's breeding population
- Mediterranean gull
- Bar-tailed godwit
- Eurasian golden plover
- Hen harrier
- Ringed plover
- Black-tailed godwit
- Grey plover
- knot
- pintail
- Common redshank
- Northern shoveler
See also
- Swale (local government district)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|The Swale}}
- [http://www.english-nature.org.uk/special/nnr/nnr_details.asp?NNR_ID=149 English Nature page]
- [http://www.jncc.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=2041 Description of Special Protection Area]
- Map sources for {{gbmapping|TQ999666}}
{{coord| 51.362|0.873 |type:landmark_region:GB-BNE|display=title}}
{{SSSIs Kent }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swale, The}}
Category:Special Protection Areas in England
Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Kent
Category:Nature Conservation Review sites