Geography
Hurst Spit is a barrier beach which shelters an area of saltmarsh and mud flats known as Keyhaven and Pennington marshes. The spit formed from loose flint pebbles which had been eroded from the cliffs further west. Modern sea defences along this stretch of coast have reduced the natural supply of pebbles to the extent that in 1989 the spit was so weakened that it was danger of being permanently breached. A stabilisation scheme which took place in 1996-7 rebuilt the shingle bank using dredged shingle. The distance across the Solent to the Isle of Wight is only three-quarters of a mile, but the sea between is very deep and the tide rushes past with great force.
Today, the castle can be accessed on foot along the shingle spit from the nearby village of Milford on Sea or by frequent ferry service from Keyhaven.
Read more about this topic: Hurst Castle
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