of the river banks forming floodplain alluvium. Pennington sits on a broadly flat plateau with shallow inclined gullies which are the natural water courses draining to Avon Water to the west and Yaldhurst stream to the east. St Marks Church is approximately 24m above sea level, whilst Gordleton Business Park is approximately 28m above sea level. Pennington Marshes To the south of Pennington lie Pennington and Oxey Marshes, an area of marsh and tidal muds, formerly used as salterns for the local salt industry. These form part of the larger North Solent Marshes. These are a favourite area for local birdwatchers and photographers, and many different types of bird have been spotted here. The Solent Way, a regional coastal path, runs through the area atop the sea wall. There are also walking, cycling and running routes signposted, which are maintained by Hampshire County Council. New Forest National Park Authority has planning authority over the marshes area. The mudflats and salt marshes outside the seawall are leased by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and form their Keyhaven and Pennington Marshes Reserve. Pennington and Oxey marshes are divided into 11 designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (see Natural England website references 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 17, 18, 19 and 23). Pennington Common Pennington Common and Upper Common are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (see Natural England website references 197, 198, and 199). Pennington Common was rated Silver Gilt and "Common of the Year" in 2016's Britain in Bloom - South and South East. Avon Water The Avon Water basin is a small basin draining the south-west edge of the New Forest. It rises within the southern confines of Burley and flows eastwards where it drains Holmsley Bog. The river continues its journey following the edge of Wootton Coppice Inclosure and Broadley Inclosure where it appears to have been significantly straightened before passing the perambulation boundary. From this point it flows through farmland via Sway Lakes and passes to the western side of Pennington (forming the western boundary of Pennington) before entering the Solent at Keyhaven. Yaldhurst Stream Winding through the area is a small stream which issues from Yaldhurst Copse to the north and runs down a small valley across the Yaldhurst farmland. This stream has long been taken as the official defining the boundary between Buckland/Lymington and Pennington (until the point that the stream meets