List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire explained

This is a list of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Gloucestershire. Natural England, the designating body for SSSIs in England, uses the 1974-1996 county system, and this list follows the same approach. Some sites you may expect to find here could therefore be in the Avon list.[1] It may also be that a site may on the borders of more than one county.[2] It may also be on the country borders.[3]

Natural England chooses a site because of its fauna, flora, geological or physiographical features.[4] As of 2012, there are 121 sites designated in this Area of Search, of which 69 have been designated due to their biological interest, 32 due to their geological interest, and 20 for both.[5]

Gloucestershire has 3 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty being the Cotswolds, Malvern Hills, and the Wye Valley (the latter is also partly in Wales). These areas may include several SSSIs, or be named an SSSI as is the case for the Malvern Hills.[6]

Gloucestershire has 2 designated Ramsar sites being the Severn Estuary and Walmore Common both SSSIs.[7] These two sites are also designated as Special Protection Areas (SPA) under the EC Directive on the conservation of Wild Birds.[8]

Gloucestershire has 7 recognised Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), several of which bring together more than one SSSI. These are: Cotswold Beechwoods; Dixton Wood; River Wye/ Afon Gwy; Rodborough Common; Severn Estuary; Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Bat Sites/ Safleoedd Ystlumod Dyffryn Gwy a Fforest y Ddena; Wye Valley Woodlands/ Coetiroedd Dyffryn Gwy.[9]

Highbury Wood SSSI[10] and the Cotswold Commons and Beechwoods SSSI[11] are national nature reserves (NNR). Lady Park Wood (part of the wood is in Gloucestershire and part in Monmouthshire) is a national nature reserve.[12]

A significant number of the SSSIs are recognised by the relevant local authorities as Key Wildlife Sites and Regionally Important Geological/Geomorphological Sites. There are c. 800 recognised Key Wildlife Sites in Gloucestershire.[13]

For other counties, see List of SSSIs by Area of Search.

Sites

Site nameReason for designationAreaGrid referenceYear in which notifiedMap
Biological interestGeological interestHectaresAcres
Alderton Hill Quarry0.30.81997
Ashleworth Ham104.7258.81974
Astridge Wood5.714.01998
Badgeworth3.17.61954
Barnsley Warren61.3151.01954
Barton Bushes5.714.01996
Bigsweir Woods48.2119.01984
Blaisdon Hall0.10.81995
Bourton Down11.227.61974
Box Farm Meadows8.321.01985
Boxwell5.313.21954
Brassey Reserve And Windrush Valley2.15.21954
Brooks Head Grove11.929.41986
Buckshraft Mine & Bradley Hill Railway Tunnel5.714.01998
Bull Cross, The Frith And Juniper Hill42.3104.61954
Bushley Muzzard, Brimpsfield1.12.81984
Caerwood And Ashberry Goose House0.10.3& 1991
Campden Tunnel Gravel Pit0.20.51988
Chaceley Meadow1.84.41954
Clarke's Pool Meadow1.84.41954
Cleeve Common455.01,124.31974
Coaley Wood Quarries4.912.01974
Cockleford Marsh3.28.01991
Collinpark Wood66.7164.81966
Coombe Hill15.438.11994
Coombe Hill Canal20.249.81954
Cotswold Commons And Beechwoods665.51,664.41954
Cotswold Water Park135.0330.0 – 1994
Crickley Hill And Barrow Wake56.8140.31974
Daneway Banks17.042.01954
Dean Hall Coach House & Cellar0.10.11988
Devil's Chapel Scowles44.8110.91998
Dingle Wood10.024.61972
Dixton Wood13.032.52000
Dymock Woods53.0130.01990
Easter Park Farm Quarry0.20.41986
Edge Common20.550.61974
Edgehills Quarry0.41.01974
Elmlea Meadows6.917.11989
Foss Cross Quarry0.71.71972
Frampton Pools59.9147.91974
Garden Cliff5.112.61954
Hampen Railway Cutting3.99.61974
Haresfield Beacon0.71.81985
Harford Railway Cutting1.23.01974
Highbury Wood50.7123.41983
Hobb's Quarry, Longhope1.02.51966
Hornsleasow Quarry3.59.61974
Hornsleasow Roughs28.269.81954
Hucclecote Meadows5.714.21984
Huntsman's Quarry1.64.01974
Innsworth Meadow2.25.41979
Jackdaw Quarry4.811.81985
Juniper Hill, Edgeworth11.327.8 & 1974
Kemble Railway Cuttings2.76.7 & & 1996
Kempley Daffodil Meadow1.23.01986
Kingscote And Horsley Woods43.8108.21966
Knap House Quarry, Birdlip1.84.41974
Land Grove Quarry, Mitcheldean3.89.41974
Lark Wood1.12.81974
Leckhampton Hill And Charlton Kings Common63.8157.71954
Lineover Wood20.350.21986
Longhope Hill0.20.51989
Lower Wye Gorge65.0160.0 & 1954
Lydney Cliff8.019.71990
May Hill32.680.61954
Meezy Hurst4.310.61986
Minchinhampton Common182.7451.41972
Nagshead120.1316.61972
New Park Quarry1.33.21987
Nibley Knoll3.27.91974
Notgrove Railway Cutting1.74.21974
Oakenhill Railway Cutting0.82.01985
Old Bow And Old Ham Mines40.399.61998
Old River Severn, Upper Lode3.79.21985
Pennsylvania Fields, Sedbury27.066.81985
Poor's Allotment28.670.61954
Puckham Woods32.480.01954
Puddlebrook Quarry0.71.91986
Purton Passage4.912.11966
Range Farm Fields12.831.61996
River WyeEngland: 1,159.6Wales: 245.2Total: 1,404.8England: 2,865.0Wales: 606.0Total: 3,471.0 – 1978
Robin's Wood Hill Quarry1.74.11966
Rodborough Common1162871954
Rough Bank, Miserden9.222.71986
Salmonsbury Meadows18.044.01985
Scully Grove Quarry0.41.01974
Selsley Common39.497.41966
Severn Estuary15,950.039,410.01976
Severn Ham, Tewkesbury70.8175.01974
Shorn Cliff And Caswell Woods69.2171.0 & 1986
Slade Brook3.68.92003
Soudley Ponds7.017.41984
Speech House Oaks16.340.21972
Stenders Quarry2.86.91966
Stinchcombe Hill28.670.71966
Stony Furlong Railway Cutting2.76.71987
Strawberry Banks5.112.51993
Swanpool Wood And Furnace Grove13.633.61984
Swift's Hill9.222.61966
Sylvan House Barn<0.10.11995
The Hudnalls94.4233.3 & & 1972
The Malvern Hills732.31,899.6 – 1954
Tudor Farm Bank3.79.11999
Turvey's Piece1.02.51993
Upham Meadow And Summer Leasow104.0257.01991
Upper Severn Estuary1,436.83,550.41954
Upper Wye Gorge245.1605.71969
Veizey's Quarry1.43.51974
Wainlode Cliff1.33.21954
Walmore Common57.8142.8 & 1955
Wellacre Quarry12.330.41974
Westbury Brook Ironstone Mine15.738.81998
Whelford Meadow1.94.61985
Wigpool Ironstone Mine34.995.01998
Wildmoorway Meadows12.631.11989
Winson Meadows7.919.61974
Wood Green Quarry & Railway Cutting0.30.71966
Woodchester Park214.9531.01966
Wotton Hill26.164.01954
Yarley Meadows12.230.21987

See also

Notes

Data rounded to one decimal place.

Grid reference is based on the British national grid reference system, also known as OSGB36, and is the system used by the Ordnance Survey.[14]

Link to maps using the Nature on the Map service provided by Natural England.

References

Natural England citation sheets for each SSSI. Retrieved on 18 June 2011 and 10 August 2012

Notes and References

  1. For example, Midger and Lower Woods are included in the Avon list
  2. For example, see Natural England citation for 'The Malvern Hills' (retrieved 2012-08-21)
  3. For example, see Natural England citation for 'Upper Wye Gorge' (retrieved 2012-08-21)
  4. Web site: Notification of SSSIs . Natural England . 2012-08-08 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120515062100/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/special/sssi/notification.cfm . 2012-05-15 .
  5. Web site: SSSIs in Gloucestershire . Natural England . 2012-08-08.
  6. Web site: Natural England information and map of AONBs . Natural England . 2012-10-03.
  7. Web site: Joint Nature Conservation Committee Listing of Ramsars . DEFRA . 2012-09-20.
  8. Web site: Joint Nature Conservation Committee Listing of Special Protection Areas . DEFRA . 2012-08-08.
  9. Web site: Joint Nature Conservation Committee Listing of Special Areas of Conservation . DEFRA . 2012-09-23.
  10. Web site: Natural England NNR citation and map for Highbury Wood NNR. Natural England . 2012-09-24.
  11. Web site: Natural England NNR citation and map for the Cotswolds Commons and Beechwoods . Natural England . 2012-09-27.
  12. Web site: Natural England NNR citation and map for Lady Park Wood (Gloucestershire) . Natural England . 2012-09-27.
  13. Web site: Key Wildlife Sites information . Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. 2012-09-22.
  14. Web site: Guide to National Grid . Ordnance Survey . 8 May 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071027134518/http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/getamap/help.html#gridref . 27 October 2007 .

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