Rock Outcrops and Caves

Hastings Castle, which is of Norman origin, was built on the imposing outcrop of Cretaceous sandstone overlooking Hastings Old Town and Hastings seafront. The surrounding sandstone was cut in the 12th century to build the castle curtain wall creating the deep cut gulley and southern rock face which form Castle Rocks.

​

On top of this sandstone outcrop are the remnants of defensive enclosure earthworks of a Iron Age promontory fort.

​

This outcrop is exceptionally good for ground nesting bees and wasps, especially species that nest in loose sand at the base of the southern quarry face. The very sandy soil around Castle Rocks has enabled a very flowery vegetation to form including many species more commonly found on sand dunes and very dry sandy grassland such as hare’s-foot clover Trifolium arvense and spring vetch Vicia lathyroides.

​

Many of the bees and wasps found on the cliff and undercliff breed at Castle Rocks although there are a few species which are particularly successful here. This includes the nationally scarce pantaloon bee Dasypoda hirtipes, again a species more commonly found on sand dunes and very sandy grassland. This is one of the most spectacular bees in the UK and is highly distinctive. The species specialises on collecting pollen from yellow Asteraceae flowers such as ragwort Senecio jacobaea, fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica and cat’s-ear Hypochaeris radicata. Another yellow Asteraceae specialist which nests in large numbers on Castle Rocks is the small shaggy bee Panurgus calcaratus. This bee seems to be quite scarce along the coastline of south-east England, but is very common at Castle Rocks.

​

Castle Rocks is the first site in Sussex where the ivy bee Colletes hederae started to breed back in 2005. This is a solitary bee that specialises on ivy pollen and times its emergence when ivy is in flower during September and October, although appears to be emerging earlier in recent years. The species is known for the very large aggregations of nesting bees that can occur which can give the appearance of ‘swarms’ of bees or wasps, but this species

​

is harmless. The aggregation of nesting ivy bees at Castle Rocks now covers at least 1500m2.

Castle Rocks is also home to a very large aggregation of sand tailed digger wasps Cerceris arenaria. Wasps are incredibly important predators of garden and crop pests and Cerceris arenaria are important predators of large weevils such as the vine weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus.

​

Another very interesting aspect of Castle Rocks are the large patches of royal fern Osmunda regalis, bryophytes and lichens growing on the exposed face of the outcrop. Royal fern is a large spectacular fern that usually grows in very damp acidic or neutral soil in wetland habitats so it is very unusual to see the fern growing from a rock outcrop of sandstone.

​

Castle Rocks is also an excellent site for grasshoppers and bush-crickets, and the best place in Hastings to see grey bush-cricket Platycleis albopunctata. This large bush-cricket is exclusively coastal and very well camouflaged amongst brown droughted vegetation growing along the base of the sandstone outcrop.

​

The nearby St. Clement’s Caves on the West Hill, which are of natural origin, but later artificially enlarged and have served as a home, hospital, air-raid shelter and ballroom. These caves and some smaller caves at Rock-a-nore are home to some highly specialised wildlife most notably the European cave spider Meta menardi. This spider spins a large orb-web suspended from the cave walls and feeds on invertebrates such as woodlice, millipedes and beetles. The female produces a large suspended egg sac which lasts throughout the winter. This species is exclusively European occurring only in western and central Europe.