In pictures: The incredible wildlife on your doorstep in Hastings and St Leonards as you have never seen it before

The hidden gem is just yards away from the busy A259 Bexhill Road, yet contains a wealth of different species, including plant life, birds and insects.

The Combe Valley Countryside Park covers approximately 2.3 square miles (about 1480 acres) and provides an area of countryside between Hastings and Bexhill for public enjoyment and recreation.

About half of the land is privately owned and farmed, and the remainder belongs to Hastings, Rother or East Sussex. The area has two SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) and a remarkable amount of wildlife2,456 recorded species including several rarities.

A network of paths exists including a new cycleway running from Sidley in the West to Hollington in the East.

The central valley floods in winter, encouraging waterfowl, with many ducks, geese, herons and egrets to be seen. Dragonflies and other insects abound in the summer, and many different aquatic and wetland plants thrive. Raptors such as kestrels and buzzards can often be seen hunting in the valley

The park also includes a two-mile stretch of coastline at Bulverhythe running from Galley Hill at Bexhill in the west towards St Leonards in the east.

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