| Deacon Hill | |
| Aos: | Bedfordshire |
| Interest: | Biological |
| Area: | 35.4 hectares |
| Notifydate: | 1984 |
| Map: | Magic Map |
Deacon Hill SSSI is a 35.4hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Pegsdon in Bedfordshire.[1] [2] It is in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and it is part of the Pegsdon Hills and Hoo Bit nature reserve, managed by Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.[3]
The site is calcareous grassland which is rich in plant species, some of which are uncommon.[1] Birds include lapwings and buzzards, and there are butterflies such as dingy and grizzled skippers. There are also the remains of ancient strip lynchet fields.[3]
The SSSI covers part of Deacon Hill and part of the adjacent Pegsdon Hills.[2] This is a remnant of semi-natural chalk downland and the calcareous soil supports a characteristic range of grasses and herbs. The main grasses present are sheep’s fescue, false oat-grass and upright brome. Forbs found here include spring sedge, autumn gentian, yellow-wort, fragrant orchid, common spotted-orchid, common milkwort, common rock-rose, cowslip, eyebright, clustered bellflower, harebell, carline thistle, wild thyme, marjoram and moschatel. There are also wild candytuft, field fleawort and pasque flower, all of which are rare in Bedfordshire.[1] [3]
There is also some scrubland, the main trees being hawthorn, which often invades chalk downland, a buckthorn and wayfaring tree, with black bryony and old man's beard; false-brome usually dominates the ground flora in scrubby areas. There are glowworms, and grizzled skipper and dingy skipper butterflies.[1] [3]
There is access to the site from Hitchin Road.[2]