Kingscote and Horsley Woods

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Kingscote and Horsley Woods
Site of Special Scientific Interest

Kingscote Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1259913.jpg

Kingscote Wood with wild garlic ground flora
Gloucestershire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Gloucestershire
Area of Search Gloucestershire
Grid reference ST831971
Coordinates 51°40′22″N2°14′42″W / 51.672865°N 2.245065°W / 51.672865; -2.245065 Coordinates: 51°40′22″N2°14′42″W / 51.672865°N 2.245065°W / 51.672865; -2.245065
Interest Biological
Area 43.79 hectare
Notification 1966
Natural England website

Kingscote and Horsley Woods (grid reference ST831971 ) is a 43.79-hectare (108.2-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1966. [1] [2] [3] The site (Kingscote Woods Complex, including Conygre Wood, Sandgrove Wood and Fishponds Wood) is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 (on line) as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS). [4]

Ordnance Survey National Grid System of geographic grid references used in Great Britain

The Ordnance Survey National Grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references used in Great Britain, distinct from latitude and longitude. It is often called British National Grid (BNG).

Gloucestershire County of England

Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean.

Contents

Location

The woods are in the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and there are two units of assessment. There are four separately named woods in the citation being Kingscote, Horsley, Sandgrove and Fishponds. [1]

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Designated area of countryside in England, Wales or Northern Ireland

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is an area of countryside in England, Wales or Northern Ireland which has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of their national importance, by the relevant public body: Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, or the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. In place of AONB, Scotland uses the similar national scenic area (NSA) designation. Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty enjoy levels of protection from development similar to those of UK national parks, but unlike with national parks the responsible bodies do not have their own planning powers. They also differ from national parks in their more limited opportunities for extensive outdoor recreation.

Woodland type

The site is an example of ancient Beech woodland, which is typical of the Jurassic limestone of the west Cotswolds. Kingscote, Horsley and Sandgrove woods are similar and includes some Ash and Oak. The woodland understorey is Hazel and Hawthorn. These are Bluebell woods with Wood Garlic, Wood Anemone and Dog's Mercury. [1]

Beech genus of plants

Beech (Fagus) is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America.

The Jurassic period was a geologic period and system that spanned 56 million years from the end of the Triassic Period 201.3 million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period 145 Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic Era, also known as the Age of Reptiles. The start of the period was marked by the major Triassic–Jurassic extinction event. Two other extinction events occurred during the period: the Pliensbachian-Toarcian extinction in the Early Jurassic, and the Tithonian event at the end; however, neither event ranks among the "Big Five" mass extinctions.

Limestone Sedimentary rocks made of calcium carbonate

Limestone is a carbonate sedimentary rock that is often composed of the skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral, foraminifera, and molluscs. Its major materials are the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). A closely related rock is dolostone, which contains a high percentage of the mineral dolomite, CaMg(CO3)2. In fact, in old USGS publications, dolostone was referred to as magnesian limestone, a term now reserved for magnesium-deficient dolostones or magnesium-rich limestones.

Fishponds Wood, as its names implies, includes a pond area, and is a regenerated woodland, having been previously felled. Ground flora includes Small Teasel. [1]

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References

SSSI Source