Talks at Six - The Coastal Plain

https://talksatsix.co.uk/the-coastal-plain-past-present-and-future/

The Coastal Plain: Past, Present and Future by Mark Roberts

From Brighton to Portsmouth the wonderful Sussex and Hampshire landscape is under threat from development. Archaeologist Mark Roberts will examine clues from the distant and more recent past to pose the question: is there a future for this landscape beyond just urban sprawl?

The Coastal Plain of eastern Hampshire and Sussex comprises one of the three great geographical and geological provinces of our area, along with the South Downs and the Weald. It's a landscape that's unique in the British Isles. It has been a preferred area of human habitation since the early Palaeolithic.

From the Bronze Age to the Second World War era it was a focus of agricultural activity, marine resource exploitation and, critically, trading. However, today, this wonderful landscape is under threat from unfettered development, with housing and retail construction reaching unprecedented levels. In contrast with the South Downs, which have become, in essence, fossilised as a consequence of their National Park status, there are few areas of statutory protection across the plain.

Both the South Downs and the Weald have a far more extensive geographical distribution than the Coastal Plain, whose environments and associated ecosystems are shrinking on daily basis. This lecture will look at the distant and more recent past to examine if there is a future for this landscape beyond an urban sprawl from Brighton to Portsmouth.

About Mark Roberts

Archaeologist and UCL lecturer, Mark Roberts is always one of Talks At Six's most popular and thought provoking speakers. He is best known for his ground-breaking excavations and research at a half-million-year-old site at Boxgrove. He is also an Honorary Fellow of West Dean College. https://www.westdean.ac.uk/tutors/mark-roberts

Chosen charity

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

Guide Dogs for the Blind are the world's largest assistance dog organisation. As world leaders in puppy socialisation and dog training, they are the only organisation to breed and train guide dogs in the UK. They are also the largest employer of specialists dedicated to helping children and young people overcome the challenges of sight loss.

Charity No: 209617

Bassil Shippam Centre
Tozer Way
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 7LG