COASTAL sounds such as waves crashing on to cliffs or seagulls calling should be recorded for posterity, the British Library and National Trust have urged.

The aim is to help build a crowd-sourced soundscape of the nation’s coastline.

Library curator of wildlife sounds, Cheryl Tipp, visited Birling Gap near Eastbourne to get some recordings of her own.

She said: “There’s something really evocative about the sounds of our coast. They help shape our memories of the coastline and immediately transport us to a particular time or place whenever we hear them.”

The coastal sounds will be placed on a map on the British Library website and added to the British Library Sound Archive for future generations to enjoy.

Hundreds of sounds have already been recorded and the aim is to reflect the beauty and diversity of the entire UK coast.

To take part in the project, which runs until September 21, you can record a sound from anywhere on the coastline from beaches to ports, cliffs to seaside towns.

More details are available at www.nationaltrust.org.uk.