Orfordness and Dungeness: a comparative study

FULLER, R. M., 1989. Orfordness and Dungeness: a comparative study . Dungeness originally developed as a shingle spit from Winchelsea, across the bay which now forms the Romney Marshes and, 700–800 years ago, probably had its distal end between New Romney and Hythe. The structure seems to have been very similar to present-day Orfordness. Then a breach at the spit's origin produced an abrupt change in accretion and erosion patterns with the eventual development of the present-day cuspate foreland. It would seem that Orfordness is on the verge of such a breach, which is prevented by coastal defence works. Much can be learned by comparing physiographic and ecological processes at Orfordness with those at Dungeness, using Orfordness as an historical model for early Dungeness. This paper considers some of the evidence for these conclusions, examines the structures which survive to the present-day and discusses the ecological significance of the features, especially in terms of plant successional developments.