East Cliff and Warren Country Park

East Cliff and Warren Country Park is of national importance both for wildlife and its geology, and is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and as a Local Nature Reserve. The side of the park closest to the town centre features wide open lawns overlooking the cliffs with a playground, bowls club and Pitch & Putt golf course, all watched over by three Napoleonic-era Martello Towers. Venture further east however and 200 years of landslides have created a steep, pockmarked landscape called The Warren covered in thick vegetation leading down to the sea below the cliffs. Chalk grassland wild flowers grow alongside woodland plants here, while the sea air promotes the growth of rock sea lavender, wild cabbage and rock samphire. Around 150 different species of birds can be found in The Warren. A series of relatively arduous walks maintained by the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership lead you along the coast. The area is a great site for rockpooling when the tide is out - and is also one of the best sites in southern England to go fossil hunting.