Cleeve Wood, Hanham

Cleeve Wood
Site of Special Scientific Interest
	Flowering Bath asparagus
Location	Avon
Grid reference	ST655703
Interest	Biological
Area	8.9 hectare
Notification	1966
Location map	English Nature

Last updated January 13, 2024

Cleeve Wood, Hanham is a (grid reference ST655703 ) is an 8.9 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in South Gloucestershire, notified in 1966.^[1]

Cleeve Wood is situated on the steep south facing slopes of the River Avon valley near to the City of Bristol.

The primary scientific interest of the wood is the particularly large population of Bath Asparagus ( Ornithogalum pyrenaicum ) which it supports. The Bath Asparagus in Cleeve Wood represents what is considered to be the largest and most stable population of this plant in this its centre of distribution.^[1]

The wood is derived from the calcareous Ash-Wych Elm (southern variant) type but has been much planted with non-native species mainly Beech ( Fagus sylvatica ) and Sycamore ( Acer pseudoplatanus ) but with some Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) and Cypress trees Cupressus . In the more natural areas of the wood Ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ) is dominant with occasional Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur) standards. In such places the shrub layer is dominated by Field Maple (Acer campestre), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Elder ( Sambucus nigra ), Hazel (Corylus avellana) and young Wych Elm ( Ulmus glabra ).^[1]

The field layer in many areas is dominated by Ivy (Hedera helix), especially on the disturbed slopes. Other common ground flora includes Dog's Mercury (Mercurialis perennis), Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), Stinking Iris ( Iris foetidissima ), Traveller's Joy ( Clematis vitalba ) and Slender False Brome ( Brachypodium sylvaticum ).^[1]

Related Research Articles

Castle Eden Dene is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserve in the Easington district of County Durham, England. It is located mostly in Peterlee, between the A19 and A1086 roads.

Monkswood Valley is a 30.7-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) near the village of Cold Ashton, South Gloucestershire, notified in 1990.

Bratton Downs is a 395.8 hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, England, near the villages of Bratton and Edington, and about 3 miles (5 km) east of the town of Westbury. It was notified in 1971. The designated area consists mainly of chalk grassland, as well as some ancient woodland, and supports a diverse range of native flora and fauna. It overlays notable geological features—principally landforms created by glaciation in the Pleistocene.

Cogley Wood is a 60.7 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Bruton in Somerset, notified in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aller and Beer Woods</span>

Aller and Beer Woods is a 56.9 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. off the A372 Othery to Langport road near Aller in Somerset. It was notified in 1952.

Colerne Park and Monk's Wood is a 53.7 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, England, notified in 1951.

Kennet Valley Alderwoods is a 57.3-hectare (142-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Newbury in Berkshire. It is a Special Area of Conservation

Ulmus glabra 'Cebennensis', also known as the Cevennes Elm, is a cultivar of the Wych Elm. The first known publication of the cultivar epithet was in the 1831-1832 catalogue from the Audibert brothers plant nursery at Tonelle, near Tarascon in France. The cultivar was given the name Ulmus campestris var. cebennensis.

Penhow Woodlands National Nature Reserve is a national nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest located in south east Wales near the village of Penhow, to the east of Newport. The reserve covers an area of 24 hectares.

Grass Wood is an ancient woodland of 88 hectares in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England, that has an exceptional ground flora of woodland wildflowers.

Westernhope Burn Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Wear Valley district of south-west County Durham, England. It occupies the steeply-incised ravine of the Westernhope Burn, a tributary of the River Wear, which it joins from the south about halfway between the villages of Eastgate and Westgate.

Coed Nant Mawr is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the preserved county of Clwyd, north Wales. It is near to the town of Denbigh.

Livox Wood is a woodland and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), noted for its biological characteristics, in Monmouthshire, south east Wales.

Upper Wye Gorge is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), noted for its biological and geological characteristics, around Symonds Yat in the Wye Valley on the Wales–England border. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).

Briarwood Banks is the name given to a woodland Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in north Northumberland, North East England. Composed mainly of elm, oak and ash, the site is semi-natural and now recovering from the removal of planted conifers.

East Wood is a 6.6-hectare (16-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Great Casterton in Rutland.

Eye Brook Valley Woods is a 65.7-hectare (162-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Hallaton in Leicestershire. It is in three separate areas, Great Merrible Wood, which is managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, Bolt Wood and Park Wood.

Sturt Copse is a 6.5-hectare (16-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Oxford in Oxfordshire.

Nance Wood is a woodland Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) near Portreath, west Cornwall. The site was first notified in 1951 for its almost pure dwarf, sessile oak coppiced woodland, good bryophyte flora and Irish spurge, which is found in only two localities in Britain.

Stonesfield Common, Bottoms and Banks is a 27.45-hectare (67.8-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) south of Stonesfield in Oxfordshire.

References

1 2 3 4 "SSSI citation sheet for Cleeve Wood, Hanham" (PDF). English Nature. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009.

51°25′50″N2°29′52″W / 51.43064°N 2.49765°W / 51.43064; -2.49765

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[sssi-1] 1 2 3 4 "SSSI citation sheet for Cleeve Wood, Hanham" (PDF). English Nature. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009.

[1]