Alkham, Lydden and Swingfield Woods

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Alkham, Lydden and Swingfield Woods
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Field and woods to the S of Swanton Lane - geograph.org.uk - 816621.jpg
Location Kent
Grid reference TR 260 437 [1]
InterestBiological
Area228.3 hectares (564 acres) [1]
Notification 1986 [1]
Location map Magic Map

Alkham, Lydden and Swingfield Woods is a 228.3-hectare (564-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Dover in Kent. [1] [2] Alkham Valley Woods is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. [3]

This site is composed of several steeply sloping woods on chalk soil, together with an area of chalk grassland. The ground flora is diverse, including some unusual plants such as lady orchid in the woods and burnt orchid in the meadow. [4]

Public footpaths go through some of the woods but other areas are private land. Part of the land designated as Alkham, Lydden and Swingfield Woods SSSI is owned by the Ministry of Defence [5] .

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Designated Sites View: Alkham, Lydden and Swingfield Woods". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. "Map of Alkham, Lydden and Swingfield Woods". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  3. Ratcliffe, Derek, ed. (1977). A Nature Conservation Review. Vol. 2. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 46. ISBN   0521-21403-3.
  4. "Alkham, Lydden and Swingfield Woods citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  5. "Mapping the habitats of England's ten largest institutional landowners". Who owns England?. 2020-10-06. Retrieved 2024-10-20.

51°08′53″N1°13′48″E / 51.148°N 1.23°E / 51.148; 1.23