Stevenston Beach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stevenston Beach |
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Stevenston Beach LNR
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| Type | Local Nature Reserve |
| Location | Stevenston, North Ayrshire, Scotland |
| Area | 12ha |
| Created | 1999 |
| Operated by | North Ayrshire Council |
| Open | All year |
Stevenston Beach is a special place called a Local Nature Reserve (LNR). It's located in Scotland, right on the coast between the towns of Stevenston and Saltcoats. This amazing natural area covers about 12 hectares (that's like 30 football fields!). It's mostly made up of sand dunes, which are like natural hills of sand. There's also a part that used to be a coal mine, from a place called Auchenharvie Colliery No. 5 pit.
Stevenston Beach is super important because its sand dunes are ranked as the fifth best in all of Ayrshire! The Scottish Wildlife Trust also calls these dunes a special wildlife site, meaning they are very important for plants and animals.
Contents
A Look Back in Time: History of the Beach
The sand dunes at Stevenston Beach have a long history. They used to be part of lands owned by families like the Campbells and the Warners.
Old Buildings and Railways
Way back in 1832, maps show there was a factory here that made "magnesia," a type of mineral. Later, a house called Summerseat was built near the dunes. There were also railway tracks and small train lines that went into the dune area. These were used to carry coal from the Auchenharvie Colliery mine. These tracks were removed in the 1940s.
A special marker, called a Trig Point, was placed on top of the old mine's spoil heap (a pile of waste material from the mine). The railway's sea wall forms one side of the nature reserve, and the Stevenston Burn (a small river) forms the other side. In the 1970s, only a few small buildings were left from the old mine.
Boundary Stones and Canals
You might see some "stones" on old maps near the Stevenston Burn. These were important markers that showed where the land belonging to different families ended. Rivers can change their path over time, so these stones helped people know exactly where the boundaries were.
Did you know there was once a canal here? The Stevenston Canal ran parallel to where the railway is now. The Stevenston Burn was dammed (blocked) to fill this shallow canal with water. It was used to transport coal from local mines to the harbour in Saltcoats.
Golf Course and Fossils
Long ago, there was even a nine-hole golf course here! It was set up in 1880 but closed in 1903. The course stretched from the old mine's spoil heap all the way to the Ardeer Iron Works.
The waste from the old coal mine has become part of the sand dunes. If you look closely, especially when waves expose the shale (a type of rock) from the mine waste, you might find plant fossils! These are like ancient plant prints, such as those from horsetails.
The entire site, including the beach, is owned by North Ayrshire Council.
Amazing Wildlife at Stevenston Beach
Stevenston Beach is home to lots of different plants and animals. It's the last fully natural sand dune system in North Ayrshire. This means the sands are always moving and changing the shape of the dunes, which is a natural process.
Plants of the Dunes
You can find some rare plants here, like Babington's Orache and Isle of Man cabbage. But you'll also see many common sand dune wildflowers. These include European marram grass and lyme grass, which are super important because their roots help hold the sand dunes together. In the 1600s, there was even a law in Scotland to protect lyme grass because it was so vital for stabilizing dunes!
Other beautiful plants you might spot are kidney vetch, tufted vetch, common restharrow, European searocket, sea campion, prickly saltwort, Scottish bluebell, bird's-foot trefoil, ragwort, sea mayweed, and sea sandwort.
Insects of the Dunes
The sand dunes and plants along the shore are perfect homes for many kinds of insects. Keep an eye out for butterflies and moths like common blues, small heaths, small coppers, graylings, and the six-spot burnet.
Birds of the Beach
Many different birds love Stevenston Beach. You might see waders like sanderlings, dunlins, ringed plovers, and oystercatchers. Sometimes, rarer birds like Brent gooses, little stints, and golden plovers visit.
The "strandline" (where the waves leave things on the shore) is full of tiny sea creatures, which are a tasty meal for flocks of small birds like twites, linnets, pied wagtails, and even snow buntings sometimes. You'll also likely hear Eurasian skylarks singing high above and see meadow pipits. Ravens are sometimes spotted too. In 2014, both common snipe and jack snipe were seen here. You'll also find rooks, and different types of gulls like great black-backed, black-headed, and herring gulls.
Here's a fun fact: In August 1962, a newspaper reported that a penguin was seen on the rocks at "Sandylands Beach"! The police tried to catch it, but it got away. In 1998, experts counted 150 different plant species and 60 different bird species at the site!
Dealing with Invasive Plants
Some plants that aren't native to the area have caused problems in the dunes. These are called "invasive species" because they spread quickly and can harm the native plants. Examples include alder, privet, hawthorn, and especially the Rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa).
The Rugosa rose is a shrub that grows new plants from its roots, forming thick bushes that are 1 to 1.5 meters tall. It's very tough and can handle salty sea spray and storms. It was planted near the car park as a pretty garden plant, but it has spread into the nature reserve. Now, it's taking over and pushing out the native plants, which threatens the amazing variety of life here. Volunteers are working hard to dig it out by hand to stop it from spreading further.
How Sand Dunes Are Formed
The Stevenston Beach area has different types of habitats, starting from the edge of the sea.
- Pioneer Zone: Right where the waves reach, low-growing plants start to trap sand blown by the wind. This is where the first, moving sand dunes begin to form.
- Yellow Dunes: As more sand is trapped, dune grasses grow, creating "pioneer zones" of mobile fore-dunes. At this stage, the dunes look "yellow" because there isn't much plant life yet.
- Grey Dunes: Other plants start to grow between the grasses. As the soil gets better, with more water and nutrients, and less new sand arrives, a wider variety of plants can grow. These areas are called "grey dunes."
- Dune Slack: Behind these dunes, there's a sheltered area called a "dune slack." It's protected from the strong winds and sometimes dries out. This area has a rich variety of plants, including wetland areas and scrub.
Storms and Erosion
Big storms and floods from the Stevenston Burn can really change the sand dunes and beach. For example, in the winter of 2014, storms washed away several meters of the front dunes. This exposed old fences that had been buried and also eroded the old coal mine spoil heap. This released rocks and small stones that were then moved along the beach by the currents, covering parts of the sandy beach.
It's also very important to be careful with fire near sand dunes. Fires started by barbecues or other actions can cause a lot of damage to these fragile dune systems.
Fossils Found Here
The old spoil heap from the mines contains fossils of ancient plants, like tree ferns and horsetails. As of 2015, scientists have identified fossils from plants called Lepidodendron, Stigmaria, and Calamites.
Looking After Stevenston Beach
The North Ayrshire Council Ranger Service helps look after Stevenston Beach. They work with groups to keep the area tidy and improve it for wildlife and visitors.
Money from "landfill tax credits" (funds collected from waste disposal) has helped pay for projects to improve the environment at the nature reserve. These projects aimed to protect this special natural area and stop erosion caused by people and quad bikes driving through the dunes. The work has made Stevenston Beach LNR easier for people to visit, including those staying at the nearby Sandylands Holiday Park, while also protecting the important habitats.
In the year 2000, some of the main goals for managing the beach included:
- Trapping sand on the front dunes.
- Planting new dune grasses.
- Fencing off areas where sand had been blown away.
- Removing plants that weren't native to the area.
- Clearing litter.
- Putting up signs.
- Creating a network of special paths for people to use.
In April 2015, a group called "Friends of Stevenston Beach" was started again. They meet regularly to help care for the beach.
According to a survey in 1998, the site has these main areas:
- Beach and areas where things wash up from the sea.
- Moving sand dunes.
- Partially stable sand dunes.
- Wet, neutral grasslands.
- Swamps and fen areas.
- A small area of improved grassland near the Sandylands end.
Getting to Stevenston Beach
The nature reserve is located on the coast, right next to the B714 road. You can get there by train from Stevenston railway station. Regular bus routes from places like Greenock, Ayr, Kilmarnock, and Glasgow also pass by the beach. The Ardrossan to Kilwinning Sustrans cycle path runs along the edge of the reserve and connects to National Cyclepath 7 at Kilwinning.
Images for kids
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Dunes and foreshore at Stevenston Beach LNR
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Fossil horsetail from the mine spoil heap.
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The Stevenston Burn
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Rugosa rose hips resemble tomatoes
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Rosa rugosa buds on Grape Island, Massachusetts
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Erosion of the fore dunes due to winter storms.
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Erosion of old coal mining spoil.
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The dunes with dark patches of invasive Rosa rugosa.
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Designated paths on the reserve in winter.
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