Farmland
Much of the Marshes is drained and is devoted to agriculture. The arable land is generally very fertile and the main crops grown are potatoes, oilseed rape and cereals.
Alongside the cultivated land, there are extensive areas of grazing marsh, which are primarily grazed by sheep. The Romney breed, one of the oldest breeds in the country, provided the foundation for the British woollen industry. It still tends to be the breed of choice, partly because the animals are suited to the harsh weather and marshy conditions.
The Marshes are drained using an intricate system of privately owned ditches, together with Main Rivers and sewers which are maintained by the Environment Agency and the Internal Drainage Board. Drainage pumps move floodwater from the marshland into the Royal Military Canal in winter, when the ground is saturated. In the drier, summer months, water is pumped from the Rother into the Royal Military Canal, from where it is gravity fed onto the marshland to help irrigate crops.
A considerable amount of land is managed under agri-environment schemes such as the Environmental Stewardship Scheme, helping to create a more wildlife-friendly landscape and to promote sustainable farming. In recent years, several projects have contributed to enhancing the farmland in the area, including the following:
Romney Marsh Countryside Project
www.rmcp.co.uk/Wildlife.html
Short-haired Bumblebee Project
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/subt_project.html
Sussex Otters and Rivers Project
www.sussexotters.org/index.html
For more advice on stewardship schemes and projects in the area, please see our Land management and advice section of the website.
