Brooklands Park Nature Corridor
We're helping to create a network of green corridors across Adur and Worthing, enabling wildlife to move more freely between the natural spaces we all value.
While some projects are led by us, many are being delivered by community groups, partners and landowners. Together, these contributions form a shared vision to protect and restore the local environment - from the South Downs National Park all the way to the coast.
By improving existing green spaces and creating new links between them, we're not only supporting wildlife, but also making it easier for people to enjoy nature close to home. These spaces play an important role in supporting our health and wellbeing, offering places to relax, exercise and connect with the outdoors.
One of our key ambitions is to help create a green route from the South Downs to the sea between Worthing and Lancing. Here you can find out more about the wide range of projects and initiatives working to improve and protect the landscape for future generations.
Photo: Ducks at Brooklands Park, Worthing
About the nature corridor
There's already some fantastic work happening across this corridor, with a range of projects helping nature to recover and thrive.
Brooklands Park in Worthing sits at the heart of the vision for this corridor, acting as a vibrant hub for nature, recreation and learning. Its recent restoration is a great example of urban nature recovery, showing how a popular community space can also support nature recovery.
We're continuing to work with the brilliant Friends of Brooklands Park to help unlock even more of its potential as a destination for visitors and nature.
Just to the north, Cokeham Brooks Local Wildlife Site adds an important wetland habitat to the corridor. It's a haven for wildlife and was transformed through the EPIC Sompting project, led by the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust with strong support from the local community.
Beside our coastline, West Sussex County Council and local volunteers are creating a new pollinator highway on the grass banks alongside the A259 for bees, butterflies and birds, helping to link habitats right through to the shoreline.
Along the shore, Sussex Bay is playing a key role in restoring marine habitats and supporting biodiversity along our coastline.
Together, these places and projects form a connected corridor from the South Downs to the sea - creating more space for nature to thrive and more opportunities for people to experience and enjoy it along the way.
Photo: Brooklands Park, Worthing - aerial photo (looking north west)
Photo: Brooklands Park, Worthing - aerial photo (looking north east)
Improving Brooklands Park
We've been investing in Brooklands Park to restore it as one of the area's best open spaces - with a strong focus on supporting nature and improving biodiversity.
A key part of this work has been restoring the park's natural habitats. During the first phase of the project, the lake and Teville Stream were carefully revitalised. Silt was removed, water channels were reshaped to improve flow, and windmill oxygenators were installed to increase oxygen levels in the water - all helping to create a healthier environment where fish, plants and wildlife can thrive.
Building on this, we've introduced a range of features designed to support nature recovery across the park. A series of new glades are being created with the help of the Friends of Brooklands Park, as well as spaces for nature, community growing and seasonal activity.
These areas are shaped by planting to provide shelter and variety, encouraging biodiversity while also giving people opportunities to get involved in activities like food growing, seed sowing and creating habitats such as bug hotels and bird boxes.
Photo: Brooklands Park, Worthing - grey heron standing in the lake
Across the park, improvements to planting and green space management are helping to create richer habitats and stronger ecological connections.
Access has also been improved in a way that supports both people and the environment. An accessible pathway now loops around the lake and a boardwalk has been built, allowing more people to enjoy the site while protecting surrounding habitats. There are also new fitness trails that encourage active use of the space.
Alongside these environmental improvements, we've enhanced the park's facilities. Brooklands Café provides a welcoming place to spend time, while a large playground and event space create more opportunities for recreation and community use.
Together, these improvements are helping us create a greener park that supports wildlife and remains a much-loved space for the whole community.
Photos: Brooklands Park, Worthing - views across the park - the Teville Stream and a path heading towards the lake
Sompting Estate
Set within South Downs National Park between Worthing and Steyning, Sompting Estate covers around seven square kilometres of countryside and plays an important role in supporting nature across the South Downs.
Guided by a long-term vision for people and nature to thrive together, the estate is actively managed to enhance habitats, improve biodiversity and create a more resilient landscape.
In recent years, this work has expanded through the creation of a new area of the estate as part of the EPIC Sompting project, delivered in partnership with the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
This project has restored and reconnected habitats by recreating a 1km stretch of the Broadwater Brook, re-routing sections of the Teville Stream to improve water quality, and introducing new ponds, trees and hedgerows.
Public access has also been opened up through the Sompting Brooks Nature Trail, giving the local community the opportunity to experience and enjoy these landscapes for the first time while getting involved in their care through volunteering and education.
Image: Sompting Brooks map by Helen Cann (credit - Sompting Estate) - click for a larger zoomable image
Sompting Estate supports a rich variety of wildlife across its downland, farmland and wetland habitats. The area is particularly important for farmland birds, including ground-nesting species such as skylarks, lapwings and grey partridges, as well as a range of owls that are supported by nest boxes and abundant prey.
Wetland areas, including ponds, streams and the nearby Cokeham Brooks Local Wildlife Site, attract species such as kingfishers, snipe and teal, while birds of prey like buzzards and kestrels are commonly seen above the South Downs.
The estate is also home to a wide range of insects, with diverse butterfly and moth populations, two-thirds of the UK's bumblebee species, and rare species identified through recent conservation work.
Mammals including badgers, foxes, deer and brown hares are found across the landscape, alongside smaller species such as dormice and harvest mice. Reptiles and amphibians have also returned following the restoration of ponds, with species such as newts, frogs, grass snakes and adders now established.
Together, these habitats create a thriving and diverse ecosystem, highlighting the importance of ongoing conservation and land management across the estate.
You can find out more about the trail and its creation here:
Photo: Sompting Brooks Nature Trail (north of Brooklands Park, Worthing)
Volunteering across the corridor
There are lots of ways to get involved in caring for the corridor, with local groups offering opportunities to make a real difference while connecting with others in the community.
At Brooklands Park, the Friends of Brooklands Park work closely with our parks team to help look after this much-loved space. From supporting day-to-day maintenance to helping run events, their work plays an important role in keeping the park welcoming and thriving for both people and wildlife.
Along our rivers and wetlands, the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust offers a wide range of volunteering opportunities. These include hands-on activities such as river clean-ups, tree planting and removing invasive species, as well as helping to improve habitats and water quality across the area's waterways.
Closer to the coast, Keep Lancing Lovely brings people together to care for local places through regular clean-up events. Their work spans the coastline, green spaces and Lancing village centre, helping to create cleaner, greener spaces for everyone to enjoy.
Whether you're interested in practical conservation, meeting new people or simply spending more time outdoors, volunteering is a great way to support nature recovery across the corridor and be part of something positive in your local area.
Photo: Swan at Brooklands Park, Worthing
Links to our partners and projects
Huge thanks to all our partners, community groups and volunteers who help make the sites across the corridor a better place for everyone and nature to enjoy:
Page last updated: 14 May 2026