The Park
Hampden Park contains a diverse range of habitats including semi-natural woodland, the pond, streams, lawns and fields with mature hedgerows.
These varied surroundings provide food and shelter for many birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish.
This makes the park a wonderful place to walk, sit, relax, and everything it offers.
There is a variety of sports facilities including tennis courts, football and rugby fields, indoor and outdoor bowls. Younger visitors can take advantage of the playground and skate park.
Café and toilet facilities are available.
The Park is open all year with free admission.
Situated between Kings Drive and Decoy Drive, the Park is on established bus routes and easily reached by car.
Free parking is available on Hampden Park Drive and surrounding roads.
Hampden Park railway station and local shops are a short walk away.
Key
Bowling - Indoor Club and Outdoor Club, and public greens
Public Tennis Courts
Skate park
The Hampden Park Decoy Pond Enhancement Project 2011
In 2011 works were undertaken to improve the pond. The restoration works included:
De-silting
Edge repairs
Creation of marginal planting areas and new island using the dredged silt
Diverse edge-planting for habitats
Planting of reeds to trap pollutants in the feeder stream
Enhancement of wildlife interaction areas
Thinning of vegetation on the islands
The project was paid for by the Friends, Eastbourne Borough Council and funding from the National Lottery.
A video on the restoration works by Cana Video Productions, kindly provided by Vince Bobin can be viewed below.
Wildlife in the Park
The largest birds on the pond are the Mute Swans. Always popular with visitors.
Grey Herons have been nesting in the park for the past few years and have raised many young. They are quite a sight to see in the spring/early summer. They can be very noisy at times too.
Little Egrets were once quite a rare sight in the area but we have recently had several pairs nesting and raising their young.
Cormorants, with wings outstretched to dry, can also be seen on the lake.
Of the smaller birds, there are Moorhen and Coots and, during the winter months, the Tufted Ducks often pay a visit.
Also regular visitors are the Black Headed Gulls. Their heads are actually brown during the summer months but this colouring disappears in the winter.
You can also see many favourites such as Robin, Blackbird, Thrushes, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren and, if you're really lucky, Nuthatch, Tree Creeper, Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpecker.
This year we've been excited to welcome a Great White Egret which has been arriving at dusk to settle for the night.
The pond has several very large carp and some terrapins.