| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 | |
| Area of Search | East Sussex |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TQ 713 098 [1] |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 33.7 hectares (83 acres) [1] |
| Notification | 1985 [1] |
| Location map | Magic Map |
High Woods is a 33.7-hectare (83-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the northern outskirts of Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex. [1] [2] It is owned by Rother District Council and managed by Highwoods Preservation Society. [3]
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man. SSSI/ASSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in the United Kingdom are based upon them, including national nature reserves, Ramsar sites, Special Protection Areas, and Special Areas of Conservation. The acronym "SSSI" is often pronounced "triple-S I".
Bexhill-on-Sea is a seaside town situated in the county of East Sussex in South East England. An ancient town and part of the local-government district of Rother, Bexhill is home to a number of archaeological sites, a Manor House in the Old Town, an abundance of Edwardian and Victorian architecture, and the famous De La Warr Pavilion: today a centre for contemporary art – which has featured the work of Andy Warhol, Cerith Wyn Evans and Richard Wilson amongst others – and an auditorium, where Bob Marley had his first UK appearance and has since seen performances by Elvis Costello, Goldfrapp, Ray Davies, Years & Years, Patti Smith and Laurie Anderson.
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent to the north and east, Surrey to the north west and West Sussex to the west, and to the south by the English Channel.
This site has several different habitats, including the only area of sessile oak coppice in the county. There are also areas of pedunculate oak and birch woodland, acidic grassland on wet heath, ponds and streams. Moss species include Sphagnum squarrosum and Hookeria lucens . [4]
Betula pendula, commonly known as silver birch, warty birch, European white birch, or East Asian white birch, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to Europe and parts of Asia, though in southern Europe it is only found at higher altitudes. Its range extends into Siberia, China and southwest Asia in the mountains of northern Turkey, the Caucasus and northern Iran. It has been introduced into North America, where it is known as the European white birch, and is considered invasive in some states in the United States and in parts of Canada. The tree can also be found in more temperate regions of Australia.
Sphagnum squarrosum, commonly known as the spiky bog-moss or spreading-leaved bog moss is a species of moss which grows in nutrient-rich, damp soil. Typical habitats include woodland, the banks of streams and ditches; it can even be found at high altitude in damp cirques. The species often grows near sedges (Carex), rushes (Juncus) or purple moor grass.
Hookeria lucens, the shining hookeria, is a species of moss in the family Hookeriaceae. It is native to Europe, east to the Caucasus, Turkey and China, as well as Scandinavia and the Faeroe Islands and western North America.
