An important part of the renovation of Madeira Terrace is improving biodiversity and protecting the Green Wall that has grown along the East Cliff wall for over 150 years.
The Green Wall is a local wildlife site and provides a nurturing environment for plants and animals, including many invertebrates such as snails, moths, and butterflies.
We aim to improve this biodiversity and encourage the flora and fauna to propagate, as we have done at Black Rock with the vegetated shingle by the new boardwalk.
Local interest groups and experts including local organisation Building Green are helping to advise on the best methods to protect, transplant, and re-populate the Green Wall.
The East Cliff wall protects the chalk cliff behind it from weathering associated with wind, rain, frost and thaw, and supports the elevated walkway.
Engineering work on this section of wall goes back as far as the early 19th century, when the cliff face was stabilised to protect the new buildings of Kemp Town. Today the cliff wall’s role also includes protecting the A259 highway above it.
The successful restoration of Madeira Terrace requires strengthening and resurfacing the cliff face on which plants are currently growing. A plan has been produced to protect as much of the Green Wall as possible during the restoration work, and to regreen the wall after work is completed.
During 2022 /23 expert surveys of the plants forming the Green Wall were done to help us understand their health and how best to ensure the restored Terrace has a thriving Green Wall.
The appearance of the wall comes from the evergreen spindle plants that were planted over a 150 years ago and are now showing significant signs of decline.
All of the plants have been surveyed and individually tagged by plant specialists. Each specimen has been mapped, assessed and given a score of stem health both above and below the elevated walkway.
Through those surveys we know that all the plants have rooted into the wall at various points, allowing them to grow so tall. These plants now get most of their nutrients and water from the wall through their aerial roots, rather than from the ground through their main stems.
You can read the full Arboricultural Technical Report here.
This plan will see the best of the spindle plants retained.
New planting with a variety of wall shrubs and climbing plants at the base of the cliff wall will increase biodiversity.
The use of specially designed planters and trellis fixed to the resurfaced wall will enable the plants to cover the repaired surface without damaging the wall behind.
You can read the plan for protecting, repopulating and maintaining the Green Wall.