List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest by Area of Search

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Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in the United Kingdom are areas of conservation, consisting of protected areas, recognised for their biological or geological significance. In Northern Ireland an SSSI is called an area of special scientific interest (ASSI).

Contents

An Area of Search (AOS) is a geographical area used in the selection of these sites. [1] In England these are largely based on the 1974–1996 administrative counties (with larger counties divided into two or more areas). In Scotland they are largely based around the 1975 - 1996 districts, whereas in Wales they are based on districts (the second-tier administrative divisions which functioned between 1974 and 1996) or counties. [1] The individual AOSs are between 400 km2 and 4,000 km2 in size. [1] There are 59 AOSs in England, 12 in Wales, and 44 in Scotland. [2]

Until the 2010s, Natural England, which maintains the database of English SSSIs, kept the listing of counties as it was in 1974, but by 2015 they had updated their lists to reflect some later changes. However, two counties abolished in 1996 are still used as areas of search by Natural England: Avon (which is now divided between Somerset, Gloucestershire and Bristol) and Cleveland (which is now divided into County Durham and North Yorkshire).

England

Area of Search [A] Number of sitesSites list
BiologicalGeologicalBothTotal
Avon 3839986 List of SSSIs in Avon
Bedfordshire 355040 List of SSSIs in Bedfordshire
Berkshire 638071 List of SSSIs in Berkshire
Buckinghamshire 5510065 List of SSSIs in Buckinghamshire
Cambridgeshire 90101101 List of SSSIs in Cambridgeshire
Cheshire 517563 List of SSSIs in Cheshire
Cleveland 124218 List of SSSIs in Cleveland
Cornwall 815432167 List of SSSIs in Cornwall
County Durham 6716588 List of SSSIs in County Durham
Cumbria 1707038278 List of SSSIs in Cumbria
Derbyshire 54281799 List of SSSIs in Derbyshire
Devon 1097131211 List of SSSIs in Devon
Dorset 1032016139 List of SSSIs in Dorset
East Riding of Yorkshire 3914350 List of SSSIs in East Riding of Yorkshire
East Sussex 4614464 List of SSSIs in East Sussex
Essex 6419386 List of SSSIs in Essex
Gloucestershire 693220121 List of SSSIs in Gloucestershire
Greater London 307037 List of SSSIs in Greater London
Greater Manchester 145221 List of SSSIs in Greater Manchester
Hampshire 10846118 List of SSSIs in Hampshire
Herefordshire 6221483 List of SSSIs in Herefordshire
Hertfordshire 367043 List of SSSIs in Hertfordshire
Isle of Wight 2641141 List of SSSIs on the Isle of Wight
Kent 67211098 List of SSSIs in Kent
Lancashire 4914669 List of SSSIs in Lancashire
Leicestershire 5812676 List of SSSIs in Leicestershire
Lincolnshire 98233121 List of SSSIs in Lincolnshire
Merseyside 101314 List of SSSIs in Merseyside
Norfolk 1232515163 List of SSSIs in Norfolk
North Yorkshire 1625623241 List of SSSIs in North Yorkshire
Northamptonshire 489057 List of SSSIs in Northamptonshire
Northumberland TBCTBCTBC114 List of SSSIs in Northumberland
Nottinghamshire 631266 List of SSSIs in Nottinghamshire
Oxfordshire 76277110 List of SSSIs in Oxfordshire
Rutland 161219 List of SSSIs in Rutland
Shropshire TBCTBCTBC110 List of SSSIs in Shropshire
Somerset 83359127 List of SSSIs in Somerset
South Yorkshire 1814335 List of SSSIs in South Yorkshire
Staffordshire TBCTBCTBC65 List of SSSIs in Staffordshire
Suffolk 109285142 List of SSSIs in Suffolk
Surrey 528262 List of SSSIs in Surrey
Tyne and Wear 256637 List of SSSIs in Tyne and Wear
Warwickshire TBCTBCTBC62 List of SSSIs in Warwickshire
West Midlands 119323 List of SSSIs in the West Midlands
West Sussex 5419578 List of SSSIs in West Sussex
West Yorkshire 219232 List of SSSIs in West Yorkshire
Wiltshire 108215134 List of SSSIs in Wiltshire
Worcestershire 106155121 List of SSSIs in Worcestershire
A A number of sites are split between more than one county and will be included in this table more than once.

Northern Ireland

CountyAreasSites list
BiologicalGeologicalBothTotal
County Antrim TBCTBCTBCTBC List of ASSIs in Antrim
County Armagh TBCTBCTBCTBC List of ASSIs in Armagh
County Down TBCTBCTBCTBC List of ASSIs in Down
County Fermanagh TBCTBCTBCTBC List of ASSIs in Fermanagh
County Londonderry TBCTBCTBCTBC List of ASSIs in Londonderry
County Tyrone TBCTBCTBCTBC List of ASSIs in Tyrone

Scotland

Area of SearchNumber of sitesSites list
BiologicalGeologicalBothTotal
Angus and Dundee TBCTBCTBC45 List of SSSIs in Angus and Dundee
Annandale and Eskdale TBCTBCTBC15 List of SSSIs in Annandale and Eskdale
Badenoch and Strathspey TBCTBCTBC23 List of SSSIs in Badenoch and Strathspey
Banff and Buchan TBCTBCTBC20 List of SSSIs in Banff and Buchan
Berwickshire and Roxburgh TBCTBCTBC54 List of SSSIs in Berwickshire and Roxburgh
Caithness TBCTBCTBC65 List of SSSIs in Caithness
Clydesdale and South East Glasgow TBCTBCTBC53 List of SSSIs in Clydesdale and South East Glasgow
Cumnock and Kyle TBCTBCTBC50 List of SSSIs in Cumnock and Kyle
Dumbarton and North Glasgow TBCTBCTBC46 List of SSSIs in Dumbarton and North Glasgow
Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy TBCTBCTBC25 List of SSSIs in Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy
East PerthTBCTBCTBC47 List of SSSIs in East Perth
East Ross and Cromarty TBCTBCTBC35 List of SSSIs in East Ross and Cromarty
Edinburgh and West Lothian TBCTBCTBC23 List of SSSIs in Edinburgh and West Lothian
Falkirk and Clackmannan TBCTBCTBC20 List of SSSIs in Falkirk and Clackmannan
Gordon and Aberdeen TBCTBCTBC35 List of SSSIs in Gordon and Aberdeen
Inverness TBCTBCTBC32 List of SSSIs in Inverness
Islay and Jura TBCTBCTBC20 List of SSSIs in Islay and Jura
Kincardine and Deeside TBCTBCTBC42 List of SSSIs in Kincardine and Deeside
Kintyre TBCTBCTBC12 List of SSSIs in Kintyre
Lorne TBCTBCTBC24 List of SSSIs in Lorne
Mid and East Lothian TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Mid and East Lothian
Mid Argyll and Cowal TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Mid Argyll and Cowal
Moray and Nairn TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Moray and Nairn
Mull, Coll and Tiree TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Mull, Coll and Tiree
Nithsdale TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Nithsdale
North East Fife TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in North East Fife
North Lochaber TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in North Lochaber
North West Sutherland TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in North West Sutherland
North Wester Ross and Cromarty TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in North Wester Ross and Cromarty
Orkney TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Orkney
Renfrew and Cunninghame TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Renfrew and Cunninghame
Rùm and the Small Isles TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Rum and the Small Isles
Shetland TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Shetland
Skye and Lochalsh TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Skye and Lochalsh
South East Sutherland TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in South East Sutherland
South Lochaber TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in South Lochaber
South Perth TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in South Perth
South Wester Ross and Cromarty TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in South Wester Ross and Cromarty
Stirling TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Stirling
Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Tweeddale and Ettrick and Lauderdale
West Perth TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in West Perth
Western Isles North TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Western Isles North
Western Isles South TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Western Isles South
Wigtown and Stewartry TBCTBCTBCTBC List of SSSIs in Wigtown and Stewartry

Wales

Area of SearchNumber of sitesSites list
BiologicalGeologicalBothTotal
Brecknockshire TBCTBCTBC84 List of SSSIs in Brecknock
Carmarthen & Dinefwr TBCTBCTBC79 List of SSSIs in Carmarthen & Dinefwr
Ceredigion TBCTBCTBC100 List of SSSIs in Ceredigion
Clwyd TBCTBCTBC81 List of SSSIs in Clwyd
East Gwynedd TBCTBCTBC103 List of SSSIs in East Gwynedd
Gwent TBCTBCTBC78 List of SSSIs in Gwent
Mid & South Glamorgan TBCTBCTBC69 List of SSSIs in Mid & South Glamorgan
Montgomeryshire TBCTBCTBC76 List of SSSIs in Montgomery
Preseli & South Pembrokeshire TBCTBCTBC75 List of SSSIs in Preseli & South Pembrokeshire
Radnorshire TBCTBCTBC87 List of SSSIs in Radnor
West Glamorgan TBCTBCTBC56 List of SSSIs in West Glamorgan
West Gwynedd TBCTBCTBC135 List of SSSIs in West Gwynedd

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Site of Special Scientific Interest</span> Protected area in the United Kingdom

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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protected areas of the United Kingdom</span> Designated area for protection in the United Kingdom

Protected areas of the United Kingdom are areas in the United Kingdom which need and /or receive protection because of their environmental, historical or cultural value to the nation. Methods and aims of protection vary depending on the nature and importance of the resource. Protection operates at local, regional, national and international levels, and may be backed by legislation and international treaty, or less formally by planning policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nature Conservancy Council</span> Former public government body in the UK with responsibility for national nature reserves

The Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) was a United Kingdom government agency responsible for designating and managing National Nature Reserves and other nature conservation areas in Great Britain between 1973 and 1991.

References

  1. 1 2 3 NCC 1989, page 17, note 4.11
  2. ↑ NCC 1989, page 18, where all AOS boundaries are mapped Map
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