This research aims to identify the critical extrinsic (wind exposure and foreshore morphology) and intrinsic factors (soil and vegetation properties) affecting the erosion of salt marsh edges at different spatial scales. The dataset includes the rates of cliff lateral retreat (.txt) quantified using a time series of aerial photographs taken over four salt marsh sites in the Westerschelde estuary, the Netherlands, the wind exposure of marsh edges (.txt), the input data of SWA (Simulating WAves Nearshore) model (.dat and .txt) and the output wave height of Westerschelde estuary (.dat)