List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in County Durham

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Monk's Moor in Upper Teesdale, the largest SSSI in County Durham Boundary Wall on Monk's Moor, Upper Teesdale - geograph.org.uk - 73980.jpg
Monk's Moor in Upper Teesdale, the largest SSSI in County Durham

This is a list of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in County Durham , England. It excludes SSSIs situated in that area south of the River Tyne that is now part of the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear as well as the area north of the River Tees which, prior to 1996, formed part of the county of Cleveland.

Contents

As of July 2010, County Durham has 88 sites that have been designated as SSSIs, of which 67 have been designated for their biological interest, 16 for their geological interest, and 5 for both. [1]

Five of these sites are shared with an adjacent county:

Designation of SSSIs

Sites of Special Scientific Interest are areas that have been selected for special protection because of their floral, faunal or geological significance. The concept was first given a statutory basis in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, the relevant provisions of which were repeated in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Under the 1949 Act, responsibility for selecting and notifying SSSIs in England was delegated to the newly created Nature Conservancy, which was replaced in 1973 by the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC). In 1991, the NCC was split up, its responsibilities in England being passed to English Nature which, in turn, was amalgamated into a new body, Natural England, in 2006.

The process for establishing an SSSI is as follows: [2]

The initial notification of a site is accompanied by a citation sheet, which outlines the reasons for the notification: the data in the following list is summarised from these individual citation sheets. [3]

Reasons for notification as SSSI

Of the 88 SSSIs designated in County Durham, 67 have been designated for their biological interest, 16 for their geological interest, and five for both biological and geological interest.

Biological

While many of the SSSIs designated for biological reasons cover a variety of habitats, most have been designated primarily for one (or more) of a small number of reasons, as detailed in the individual citation sheets: [3]

  • Moorland (upland heath and bogs) – Bollihope, Pikestone, Eggleston and Woodland Fells, Bowes Moor, Cotherstone Moor, Hexhamshire Moors, Lune Forest, Moorhouse and Cross Fell, Muggleswick, Stanhope and Edmundbyers Commons and Blanchland Moor, Upper Teesdale
  • Lowland heath – Green Croft and Langley Moor, Hesledon Moor West, Waldridge Fell
  • Wetlands (carr, fen, etc) – Burnhope Burn, Butterby Oxbow, Causey Bank Mires, Frog Wood Bog, Hell Kettles, Hesledon Moor East, Hesledon Moor West, Hisehope Burn Valley, Hulam Fen, Middleton Quarry, Pike Whin Bog, Pow Hill Bog, Railway Stell West, Redcar Field, The Carrs, Waldridge Fell, Witton-le-Wear
  • Semi-natural woodland – Backstone Bank and Baal Hill Woods, Baldersdale Woodlands, Brignall Banks, Castle Eden Dene, Derwent Gorge and Horsleyhope Ravine, Hawthorn Dene, Hisehope Burn Valley, Hunder Beck Juniper, Shipley and Great Woods, Slit Woods, Westernhope Burn Wood
  • Magnesian limestone grassland – Bishop Middleham Quarry, Cassop Vale, Charity Land, Dabble Bank, Durham Coast, Fishburn Grassland, Hawthorn Dene, Hesledon Moor East, Pig Hill, Pittington Hill, Quarrington Hill Grasslands, Raisby Hill Grassland, Sherburn Hill, The Bottoms, Thrislington Plantation, Town Kelloe Bank, Trimdon Limestone Quarry, Tuthill Quarry, Wingate Quarry
  • Hay meadows – Bowlees and Friar House Meadows, Cornriggs Meadows, Far High House Meadows, Grains o' th' Beck Meadows, Hannah's Meadows, Low Redford Meadows, Mere Beck Meadows, Middle Crossthwaite, Middle Side and Stonygill Meadows, Newton Ketton Meadow, Rigg Farm and Stake Hill Meadows, West Newlandside Meadows, West Park Meadows
  • Open water – Brasside Pond, The Carrs, Witton-le-Wear
  • Breeding birds – Bollihope, Pikestone, Eggleston and Woodland Fells, Bowes Moor, Cotherstone Moor, Durham Coast, Hexhamshire Moors, Lune Forest, Moorhouse and Cross Fell, Muggleswick, Stanhope and Edmundbyers Commons and Blanchland Moor, Teesdale Allotments, Upper Teesdale
  • Invertebrates – Bishop Middleham Quarry, Cassop Vale, Durham Coast, Green Croft and Langley Moor, Hexhamshire Moors, Middleton Quarry, Moorhouse and Cross Fell, Pig Hill, Quarrington Hill Grasslands, Raisby Hill Grassland, Sherburn Hill, Thrislington Plantation, Town Kelloe Bank, Upper Teesdale, Waldridge Fell

Geological

The surface geology of County Durham is largely confined to rocks dating from the Carboniferous and Permian periods. In the west of the county, outcrops of Dinantian limestones are found in the river valleys, while the upland areas are underlain by the younger Namurian Millstone Grit Series. To the east, these rocks dip beneath the Westphalian Coal Measures, which underlay a broad swathe in the centre of the county. Further east, the Coal Measures are overlain by Permian Magnesian Limestone, which forms a low plateau across the eastern part of the county. Igneous intrusions are a prominent feature of the geology and gave rise to extensive mining for lead and other minerals, especially in the upper Weardale area in the west of the county. [4] [5]

Although each SSSI designated for geological reasons has its own distinctive features, they fall into a small number of broad categories, as indicated in the individual citation sheets: [3]

  • Sedimentary – Botany Hill, Crag Gill, Crime Rigg, Durham Coast, Hawthorn Quarry, Raisby Hill Quarry, Rogerley Quarry, Sleightholme Beck Gorge – The Troughs, Stony Cut, Cold Hesledon, Trimdon Limestone Quarry, Yoden Village Quarry
  • Igneous – Greenfoot Quarry, Moorhouse and Cross Fell, Upper Teesdale, West Rigg Open Cutting
  • Cave development – Fairy Holes Cave, God's Bridge, Moorhouse and Cross Fell
  • Coastal – Durham Coast
  • Periglacial – Moorhouse and Cross Fell
  • Fluvial – Moorhouse and Cross Fell

Area covered

From its inception, English Nature classified sites using the 1974–1996 county system. As Natural England uses the same system, [6] it is also adopted in the following list. As a result, some sites that lie within the ceremonial county of Durham and might therefore be expected to be listed here will be found instead in either the Cleveland or the Tyne and Wear lists.

For other counties, see List of SSSIs by Area of Search.

Sites

Site nameReason for designationArea [A] Grid reference [B] Year in which notifiedMap [C]
Biological interestGeological interestHectaresAcres
Backstone Bank and Baal Hill Woods Green check.svg46.5114.9 NZ068399 1987 Map
Baldersdale Woodlands Green check.svg19.648.4 NY992200 1991 Map
Bishop Middleham Quarry Green check.svg8.621.3 NZ332326 1968 Map
Bollihope, Pikestone, Eggleston and Woodland Fells Green check.svg7,949.219,643.2 NZ005300 1996 Map
Botany Hill Green check.svg3.89.3 NY955205 1984 Map
Bowes Moor Green check.svg4,457.711,014.9 NY923104 1989 Map
Bowlees and Friar House Meadows Green check.svg5.613.9 NY898283
NY902282
1991 Map
Brasside Pond Green check.svg25.162.0 NZ292452 1966 Map
Brignall Banks Green check.svg85.0210.0 NZ063113 1987 Map
Burnhope Burn Green check.svg5.112.6 NZ029507 1987 Map
Butterby Oxbow Green check.svg7.318.0 NZ275390 1957 Map
Cassop Vale Green check.svg40.9101.0 NZ335387 1958 Map
Castle Eden Dene Green check.svg193.0476.8 NZ434396 1984 Map
Causey Bank Mires Green check.svg6.816.8 NZ206564 1987 Map
Charity Land Green check.svg5.814.4 NZ375345 1999 Map
Close House Mine Green check.svg3.48.3 NY849228 1995 Map
Cornriggs Meadows Green check.svg15.237.5 NY846416 1989 Map
Cotherstone Moor Green check.svg2,449.56,050.1 NY940170 1955 Map
Crag Gill Green check.svg2.35.7 NZ026235 1984 Map
Crime Rigg and Sherburn Hill Quarries Green check.svg23.257.4 NZ344416 1968 Map
Dabble Bank Green check.svg4.110.2 NZ364434 2002 Map
Derwent Gorge and Horsleyhope Ravine [D] Green check.svg49.0
34.0
121.0
84.0
NZ052493
NZ063483
1976 Map
Durham Coast [E] Green check.svgGreen check.svg765.41,891.4 NZ381685 NZ495362 1960 Map
Fairy Holes Cave Green check.svg208.8515.9 NY936357 1961 Map
Far High House Meadows Green check.svg5.513.6 NY839383 1990 Map
Fishburn Grassland Green check.svg1.12.8 NZ362328 1992 Map
Foster's Hush Green check.svg1.33.2 NY859204 Map
Frog Wood Bog Green check.svg3.27.9 NZ069303 1989 Map
God's Bridge Green check.svg9.322.9 NY957126 1986 Map
Grains o' th' Beck Meadows Green check.svg12.330.4 NY872209 1989 Map
Green Croft and Langley Moor Green check.svg6.5
9.0
12.2
16.1
22.2
30.2
NZ169507
NZ166511
NZ186505
1989 Map
Greenfoot Quarry Green check.svg0.92.2 NY982392 1984 Map
Hannah's Meadows Green check.svg7.117.5 NY935185 Map
Hawthorn Dene Green check.svg64.1158.4 NZ435458 1968 Map
Hawthorn Quarry Green check.svg9.824.2 NZ435463 1990 Map
Hell Kettles Green check.svg3.48.4 NZ281109 1976 Map
Hesledon Moor East Green check.svg6.014.8 NZ399466 1998 Map
Hesledon Moor West Green check.svg7.418.2 NZ386453 1984 Map
Hexhamshire Moors [F] Green check.svg9,433.923,311.7 NY870530 1998 Map
Hisehope Burn Valley Green check.svg14.936.9 NZ041477
NZ047473
1988 Map
Hulam Fen Green check.svg0.20.5 NZ439374 1986 Map
Hunder Beck Juniper Green check.svg3.58.5 NY931178 1994 Map
Kilmond Scar Green check.svg4.511.1 NZ028134 1963 Map
Low Redford Meadows Green check.svg9.322.9 NZ077309
NZ084309
1991 Map
Lune Forest Green check.svg6,333.415,650.3 NY850200 1998 Map
Mere Beck Meadows Green check.svg6.616.3 NY951186 1989 Map
Middle Crossthwaite Green check.svg24.159.5 NY931256 1991 Map
Middle Side and Stonygill Meadows Green check.svg17.342.7 NY933262
NY927264
1991 Map
Middleton Quarry Green check.svg6.014.8 NY948245 1964 Map
Middridge Quarry Green check.svg1.94.7 NZ248252 1979 Map
Moorhouse and Cross Fell [G] Green check.svgGreen check.svg13,707.033,870.0 NY715365 1951 / 1963 Map
Muggleswick, Stanhope and Edmundbyers Commons and Blanchland Moor [H] Green check.svg9,118.122,531.4 NY990450
NY950520
1997 Map
Neasham Fen Green check.svg2.56.1 NZ331115 1992 Map
Newton Ketton Meadow Green check.svg1.84.5 NZ322207 1989 Map
Old Moss Lead Vein Green check.svg0.61.5 NY820433 1961 Map
Park End Wood Green check.svg10.325.5 NY924260 1964 Map
Pig Hill Green check.svg12.631.2 NZ365444
NZ366445
1992 Map
Pike Whin Bog Green check.svg1.33.1 NZ415334 1984 Map
Pittington Hill Green check.svg6.415.8 NZ321447 1987 Map
Pow Hill Bog Green check.svg6.716.6 NZ009518 1986 Map
Quarrington Hill Grasslands Green check.svg4.511.1 NZ333373
NZ340374
NZ341375
2000 Map
Railway Stell West Green check.svg4.611.4 NZ319270 NZ313247 1986 Map
Raisby Hill Grassland Green check.svg15.137.4 NZ335354 1984 Map
Raisby Hill Quarry Green check.svg52.4129.5 NZ342353 1957 Map
Redcar Field Green check.svg0.71.6 NZ292198 1985 Map
Rigg Farm and Stake Hill Meadows Green check.svg14.736.3 NY933224 1989 Map
Rogerley Quarry Green check.svg5.613.8 NZ015379 NZ021374 1984 Map
Sherburn Hill Green check.svg16.741.2 NZ329417 1985 Map
Shipley and Great Woods Green check.svg63.4156.5 NY966119 1975 Map
Sleightholme Beck Gorge - The Troughs Green check.svgGreen check.svg7.518.5 NY966119 1976 Map
Slit Woods Green check.svg14.134.8 NY906390 1976 Map
Stony Cut, Cold Hesledon Green check.svg0.82.1 NZ418473 1996 Map
Teesdale Allotments Green check.svg1,308.33,231.6 NY930290 1994 Map
The Bottoms Green check.svg2.25.2 NZ361381 1999 Map
The Carrs Green check.svg12.931.9 NZ301327 1988 Map
Thrislington Plantation Green check.svg22.756.1 NZ316327 1962 Map
Town Kelloe Bank Green check.svg6.015.0 NZ359373 1976 Map
Trimdon Limestone Quarry Green check.svgGreen check.svg0.82.0 NZ362353 1992 Map
Tuthill Quarry Green check.svg10.726.5 NZ388429 1994 Map
Upper Teesdale Green check.svgGreen check.svg14,035.634,681.9 NY830320 1951 Map
Waldridge Fell Green check.svg113.5280.4 NZ250498 1965 Map
West Newlandside Meadows Green check.svg12.530.8 NY972374 1990 Map
West Park Meadows Green check.svg6.716.6 NY940229 1989 Map
West Rigg Open Cutting Green check.svg4.811.9 NY911391 1989 Map
Westernhope Burn Wood Green check.svg11.829.1 NY935371 1976 Map
Wingate Quarry Green check.svg23.457.7 NZ373375 1984 Map
Witton-le-Wear Green check.svg36.289.4 NZ163313 1966 Map
Yoden Village Quarry Green check.svg0.41.0 NZ436417 1988 Map

Notes

A Data rounded to one decimal place.
B Grid reference is based on the British national grid reference system, also known as OSGB36, and is the system used by the Ordnance Survey. [7] Where an SSSI consists of multiple, non-contiguous sections, each section is assigned its own OS grid reference.
C Link to maps using the Nature on the Map service provided by Natural England.
D Natural England also lists Derwent Gorge and Horsleyhope Ravine under Northumberland.
E Natural England also lists Durham Coast under both Cleveland and Tyne and Wear.
F The grid reference for Hexhamshire Moors places it in Northumberland, not Durham; Natural England lists it under both counties.
G Natural England also lists Moorhouse and Cross Fell under Cumbria.
H Natural England also lists Muggleswick, Stanhope and Edmundbyers Commons and Blanchland Moor under Northumberland.

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Upper Teesdale is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the west County Durham, England. It encompasses an extensive upland area that includes the headwaters of the River Tees and the surrounding catchment area upstream of the village of Langdon Beck.

Botany Hill, formerly known as Botany Quarry, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Teesdale district of south-west County Durham, England. It occupies a position on both sides of How Gill, just under 1 km north of the village of Hury, in Baldersdale.

Hexhamshire Moors

Hexhamshire Moors is a Site of Special Scientific Interest covering an extensive area of moorland in the Wear Valley district of north-west County Durham and the Tynedale district of south-west Northumberland, England.

Moorhouse and Cross Fell

Moorhouse and Cross Fell is a Site of Special Scientific Interest covering an extensive area of moorland in the Wear Valley district of west County Durham and the Eden district of Cumbria, England. It is contiguous with Upper Teesdale SSSI to the east and Appleby Fells SSSI to the south. The area covered extends roughly from an arc through the villages of Gamblesby, Leadgate and Garrigill southward as far as Milburn in the west and Cow Green Reservoir in the east. It includes the whole of Cross Fell, the summit of which, at 893 metres asl, is the highest point in the Pennines and in England outside the Lake District.

Lune Forest is a Site of Special Scientific Interest covering an extensive area of moorland in the Teesdale district of west Durham, England. In the north, where it adjoins the Upper Teesdale and Appleby Fells SSSIs, it extends from Mickle Fell eastward almost as far as Harter Fell, above the hamlet of Thringarth. Its southern limit is marked by the River Balder, upstream from Balderhead Reservoir, where it shares a boundary with Cotherstone Moor SSSI to the south. Grains o' th' Beck Meadows and Close House Mine SSSIs are entirely surrounded by Lune Forest, but do not form part of it.

Muggleswick, Stanhope and Edmundbyers Commons and Blanchland Moor is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in County Durham and Northumberland, England. It consists of two separate areas, the larger—encompassing the upland areas of Muggleswick, Stanhope and Edmundbyers Commons—in the Derwentside and Wear Valley districts of north Durham, the smaller—Blanchland Moor—in the Tynedale district of south-west Northumberland.

Pow Hill Bog Protected natural area in County Durham, England

Pow Hill Bog is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Wear Valley district of County Durham, England. It lies alongside Derwent Reservoir, approximately 2 km north-west of the village of Edmundbyers and adjacent to the Edmundbyers Common portion of the Muggleswick, Stanhope and Edmundbyers Commons and Blanchland Moor SSSI.

Moor House-Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve covers 7,400 ha of the Pennine moors in the north of England. It straddles Cumbria and County Durham. It was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1976.

Waskerley Reservoir A reservoir in County Durham, England

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Quarry Moor Site of Special Scientific Interest in North Yorkshire, England

Quarry Moor is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, or SSSI, at the south edge of Ripon, North Yorkshire, England, and adjacent to the A61 road. It contains an outcrop of Magnesian Limestone, exposed by former quarrying. 255 million years ago this limestone was the peripheral sediment of a tropical sea. The land was donated in 1945 to the people of Ripon by the town's mayor, Alderman Thomas Fowler Spence, a varnish manufacturer. The land was notified as an SSSI in 1986 because its calcareous grassland supported a large diversity of plant species. The site features a Schedule 8 protected plant, thistle broomrape. The land is protected as a nature reserve, and it is also managed as a recreational area. Therefore, its calcareous grass area is fenced off for protection and study, but it also contains a car park, information signs, a children's play area, accessible paths, benches, and dog waste bins.

References

  1. "Search results for Durham". Natural England. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  2. "SSSIs – The designation process". Natural England. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Natural England citation sheets for each SSSI. Retrieved on 2008-02-26. (PDF files).
  4. "The Durham Landscape" (PDF). Durham County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
  5. "County Durham Local Development Framework Tech. Paper no. 20 – Minerals" (PDF). Durham County Council. April 2009. pp. 16–20. Retrieved 13 August 2010.[ dead link ]
  6. "Search for SSSI details". Natural England. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  7. "Guide to National Grid". Ordnance Survey. Archived from the original on 27 October 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2008.