List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset

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A view of the Cheddar Gorge, designated as an SSSI for both its biological and its geological interest. Cheddar.arp.750pix.jpg
A view of the Cheddar Gorge, designated as an SSSI for both its biological and its geological interest.

This is a list of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Somerset , England, United Kingdom. In England the body responsible for designating SSSIs is Natural England, which chooses a site because of its fauna, flora, geological or physiographical features. [1] There are 127 sites designated in this Area of Search, of which 83 have been designated due to their biological interest, 35 due to their geological interest, and 9 for both. [2]

Contents

Natural England took over the role of designating and managing SSSIs from English Nature in October 2006 when it was formed from the amalgamation of English Nature, parts of the Countryside Agency and the Rural Development Service. Natural England, like its predecessor, uses the 1974–1996 county system, [3] and as such the same approach is followed here, therefore some sites you may expect to find in this list could be in the Avon list. The data in the table is taken from English Nature in the form of citation sheets for each SSSI. [4]

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
Aller and Beer Woods Green check.svg56.9140.6 ST404305 1952 Map
Aller Hill Green check.svg18.445.4 ST408291 1988 Map
Asham Wood Green check.svg141.6347.5 ST705460 1963 Map
Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill Green check.svg67.1160.1 ST433555 1990 Map
Babcary Meadows Green check.svg13.631.6 ST567293 1988 Map
River Barle Green check.svg104.2257.5 SS723423 1997 Map
Barle Valley Green check.svg622.91,539.2 SS850349 1954 Map
Barrington Hill Meadows Green check.svg16.139.5 ST300170 1987 Map
Ben Knowle Green check.svg1.53.6 ST513450 1984 Map
Berrow Dunes Green check.svg200.0494.3 ST293520 1952 Map
Black Down and Sampford Commons Green check.svg155.2383.5 ST118161 1952 Map
Blue Anchor to Lilstock Coast Green check.svg742.81,835.5 ST033435 1971 Map
Brean Down Green check.svgGreen check.svg65.1169.7 ST290590 1952 Map
Bridgwater Bay Green check.svg3,574.18,831.6 ST290480 1989 Map
Briggins Moor Green check.svg15.337.8 SS893250 1994 Map
Brimble Pit and Cross Swallet Basins Green check.svg154.3381.3 ST512505 1987 Map
Bruton Railway Cutting Green check.svg1.74.3 ST688348 1971 Map
Catcott Edington and Chilton Moors Green check.svg1,083.02,676.0 ST390420 1967 Map
Chancellor's Farm Green check.svg34.284.6 ST525525 1984 Map
Cheddar Complex Green check.svgGreen check.svg441.31,090.5 ST465538 1952 Map
Cheddar Reservoir Green check.svg105.4260.6 ST441537 1972 Map
Cheddar Wood Green check.svg86.9214.7 ST445552 1967 Map
Cleeve Hill Green check.svg15.137.4 ST056428 1989 Map
Cloford Quarry Green check.svg38.998.6 ST718444 1994 Map
Cogley Wood Green check.svg60.7150.1 ST703345 1987 Map
Cook's Wood Quarry Green check.svg1.84.4 ST669479 1988 Map
Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill Green check.svgGreen check.svg332.2820.9 ST385555 1952 Map
Curry and Hay Moors Green check.svg472.81,168.1 ST323273 1992 Map
Deadman Green check.svg28.871.2 ST234156 1987 Map
Doulting Railway Cutting Green check.svg2.86.9 ST645424 1971 Map
Draycott Sleights Green check.svg62.0153.0 ST483518 1987 Map
Dunster Park and Heathlands Green check.svg466.61,153.0 SS955441 2000 Map
East Polden Grasslands Green check.svg124.0306.4 ST474325 1999 Map
Ebbor Gorge Green check.svg41.0156.8 ST525485 1952 Map
Edford Woods and Meadows Green check.svg54.3134.1 ST665485 1957 Map
Emborough Quarries Green check.svg1.02.5 ST623505 1971 Map
Exmoor Coastal Heaths Green check.svg1,758.34,344.7 SS620480 1994 Map
Fivehead Arable Fields Green check.svg10.325.4 ST337224 1990 Map
Fivehead Woods and Meadow Green check.svg62.4154.2 ST331231 1989 Map
Freshmoor Green check.svg11.227.7 ST280125 1989 Map
Friar's Oven Green check.svg4.09.9 ST592431 1989 Map
Ge-mare Farm Fields Green check.svg4.110.3 ST155424 1988 Map
Glenthorne Green check.svg13.332.8 SS794499 1989 Map
Godminster Lane Quarry and Railway Cutting Green check.svg0.81.9 ST682345 1971 Map
Great Breach and Copley Woods Green check.svg64.8160.0 ST500320 1972 Map
Greylake Green check.svg9.322.9 ST384336 1987 Map
Grove Farm Green check.svg36.590.2 ST513096 1989 Map
Ham Hill Green check.svg11.127.6 ST482162 1971 Map
Hardington Moor Green check.svg8.721.6 ST515130 1994 Map
Hestercombe House [D] Green check.svg<0.10.2 ST242287 2000 Map
Hobbs Quarry Green check.svg0.50.1 ST622446 1984 Map
Holme Moor & Clean Moor Green check.svg10.826.7 ST095260 1987 Map
Holwell Quarries Green check.svg1.33.2 ST726450 1952 Map
Hurcott Farm Green check.svg26.365.0 ST511295 1993 Map
Hurcott Lane Cutting Green check.svg0.51.2 ST398163 1997 Map
King's Sedgemoor Green check.svg822.02,031.2 ST400330 1985 Map
Kingdown and Middledown Green check.svg5.714.1 ST480532 1991 Map
Kingweston Meadows Green check.svg11.528.4 ST540304 1990 Map
Lamb Leer Green check.svg14.636.0 ST544550 1983 Map
Lang's Farm Green check.svg7.518.5 ST170241 1990 Map
Langford Heathfield Green check.svg95.4235.7 ST100235 1966 Map
Langmead and Weston Level Green check.svg168.8417.1 ST353330 1991 Map
Langport Railway Cutting Green check.svg0.51.3 ST427272 1992 Map
Laycock Railway Cutting Green check.svg1.33.1 ST678213 1993 Map
Leighton Road Cutting Green check.svg0.61.4 ST702437 1984 Map
Long Dole Wood and Meadows [H] Green check.svg9.824.3 ST610562 1997 Map
Long Lye Green check.svg11.729.0 ST265122 1988 Map
Long Lye Meadow Green check.svg3.38.2 ST267119 2002 Map
Longleat Woods Green check.svg249.9617.4 ST795435 1972 Map
Low Ham Green check.svg5.012.5 ST440290 1988 Map
Maes Down Green check.svg0.20.4 ST647406 1985 Map
Maesbury Railway Cutting Green check.svg2.05.0 ST606475 1995 Map
Miller's Hill, Milborne Wick Green check.svg0.61.4 ST663205 1985 Map
Millwater Green check.svg1.43.5 ST439100 1989 Map
Moon's Hill Quarry Green check.svg3.48.5 ST665460 1996 Map
Moorlinch Green check.svg226.0558.4 ST390360 1985 Map
Nettlecombe Park Green check.svg90.4223.4 ST055375 1990 Map
North Brewham Meadows Green check.svg8.921.9 ST743379 1987 Map
North Curry Meadow Green check.svg1.33.1 ST330253 1989 Map
North Exmoor Green check.svg12,005.329,665.0 SS800430 1954 Map
North Moor Green check.svg676.31,671.1 ST325305 1986 Map
Old Ironstone Works, Mells Green check.svg0.30.6 ST738488 1987 Map
The Perch Green check.svg72.1178.2 ST480532 1990 Map
Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh Green check.svgGreen check.svg186.3460.4 SS880479 1990 Map
Postlebury Wood Green check.svg87.0215.0 ST740430 1987 Map
Priddy Caves Green check.svg67.1167.0 ST540505 1965 Map
Priddy Pools Green check.svgGreen check.svg52.7130.2 ST545510 1972 Map
Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood Green check.svg103.6256.0 ST225170 1952 Map
Quantocks Green check.svg2,506.96,194.5 ST140390 1970 Map
Quants Green check.svg50.6126.0 ST185175 1988 Map
Ringdown Green check.svg4.09.9 ST178155 1990 Map
Rodney Stoke Green check.svgGreen check.svg69.6172.0 ST492507 1957 Map
Roebuck Meadows Green check.svg3.68.9 ST132354 1988 Map
Ruttersleigh Green check.svg97.0239.7 ST250165 1991 Map
Sandpit Hole and Bishop's Lot Green check.svg0.71.8 ST531498 1987 Map
Seavington St. Mary Green check.svg0.30.7 ST400144 1971 Map
Severn Estuary [E] [F] Green check.svg15,950.039,410.0 ST480830 1976 Map
Shapwick Heath Green check.svg394.0973.6 ST430403 1967 Map
Sharpham Moor Plot Green check.svg0.51.3 ST465389 1967 Map
Shepton Montague Railway Cutting Green check.svg1.64.0 ST686316 1992 Map
Snowdon Hill Quarry Green check.svg0.61.6 ST312089 1963 Map
South Exmoor Green check.svg3,132.77,742.3 SS880340 1992 Map
Southey and Gotleigh Moors Green check.svg81.3200.1 ST192110 1988 Map
Southlake Moor Green check.svg196.1484.6 ST370300 1985 Map
Sparkford Wood Green check.svg8.420.7 ST613275 1954 Map
St. Dunstan's Well Catchment Green check.svgGreen check.svg39.898.3 ST668475 1967 Map
Stowell Meadow Green check.svg2.86.9 ST333062 1987 Map
Street Heath Green check.svg12.531.0 ST464394 1966 Map
Tealham and Tadham Moors Green check.svg917.62,267.3 ST420450 1985 Map
Thrupe Lane Swallet Green check.svg0.51.2 ST603458 1992 Map
Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands Green check.svg26.765.8 ST270210 1963 Map
Twinhills Woods and Meadows Green check.svg21.252.4 ST558432 1990 Map
Vallis Vale Green check.svgGreen check.svg23.959.1 ST755490 1952 Map
Viaduct Quarry Green check.svg0.30.8 ST621443 1984 Map
Walton and Ivythorn Hills Green check.svg34.986.1 ST475346 1953 Map
West Moor Green check.svg213.0526.3 ST420220 1985 Map
West Sedgemoor Green check.svg1,016.02,510.0 ST361258 1983 Map
Westhay Heath Green check.svg25.964.0 ST415422 1990 Map
Westhay Moor Green check.svg513.71,269.3 ST455445 1971 Map
Wet Moor Green check.svg491.01,214.0 ST448244 1985 Map
Whitevine Meadows Green check.svg13.032.0 ST505085 1979 Map
Windsor Hill Marsh Green check.svg0.82.0 ST619454 1972 Map
Windsor Hill Quarry Green check.svg0.81.9 ST615451 1986 Map
Wookey Hole Caves Green check.svgGreen check.svg39.497.4 ST535485 1952 Map
Wookey Station [G] Green check.svg<0.10.1 ST531464 1997 Map
Woolhayes Farm Green check.svg13.232.5 ST315109 1992 Map
Wurt Pit and Devil's Punchbowl Green check.svg0.20.5 ST543537 1987 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. [5]
C Link to maps using the Nature on the Map service provided by English Nature.
D Size smaller than can be shown with one decimal place. Actual size: 0.08 ha. [4]
E The Severn Estuary SSSI overlaps with the following SSSIs: [4]
F Incorporates two former SSSIs: Severn Estuary (notified 1976) and part of Brean Down and Uphill Cliff (notified 1952). It was unified as Severn Estuary in 1989. [4]
G Size smaller than can be shown with one decimal place. Actual size: 0.04 ha. (0.1 ac.). [4]
H The Long Dole Wood and Meadows site extends into Bath and North East Somerset and so can be found on the list of SSSIs in Avon. [4]

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References

  1. "Notification of SSSIs". English Nature. Archived from the original on 2012-05-15. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
  2. "SSSIs in Somerset". English Nature. Archived from the original on 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2006-08-05.
  3. "County search of SSSIs". English Nature. Archived from the original on 2010-08-19. Retrieved 2006-08-05.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 English Nature citation sheets for each SSSI (PDF files). Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
  5. "Guide to National Grid". Ordnance Survey. Archived from the original on 2006-07-20. Retrieved 2006-08-07.