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".
Llantrisant is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the River Ely and the Afon Clun. The three saints of the town's name are SS. Illtyd, Gwynno, and Dyfodwg. Llantrisant is a hilltop settlement, at an altitude of 174 m (565 ft) above sea level. The town is home to the Royal Mint.
Rhondda Cynon Taf, or informally RCT, is a county borough in the south of Wales. It consists of five valleys: the Rhonddas Fawr and Fach, Cynon, Taff and Ely valleys, plus a number of towns and villages away from the valleys. Results from the 2011 census showed 19.1% of its 234,410 residents self-identified themselves as having some ability in the use of the Welsh language.
The Countryside Council for Wales states that the site has been categorized as a Site of Special Interest for "...its extensive area of acidic marshy grassland in a lowland setting, as well as for smaller areas of species-rich neutral grassland, dry acidic grassland and flush. It is also of special interest for populations of two rare plants: Cornish moneywort (Sibthorpia europaea) and a liverwort known as bog earwort (Scapania paludicola).[2]
The Countryside Council for Wales, a Welsh Government Sponsored Body, was, until 31 March 2013, the wildlife conservation, landscape and countryside access authority for Wales. It was merged with Forestry Commission Wales, and Environment Agency Wales to form Natural Resources Wales, a single body managing Wales's environment and natural resources, on 1 April 2013.
Sibthorpia europaea is a species of flowering plant known by the common name Cornish moneywort. It can be found as a disjunct distribution in western Europe from the Azores, Portugal and Spain to south-western Ireland and south-western United Kingdom. It also occurs in Crete, Pelion, Greece and tropical Africa. One possible explanation could be that the species had a more widespread distribution, possibly during the Tertiary.
The Marchantiophyta are a division of non-vascular land plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of genetic information.
Briarcroft Pasture is a 1.76 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Cleveland, England notified in 2004.
Whitton Bridge Pasture is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the unitary authority of Stockton-on-Tees, England. At 3.18 hectares (7.9 acres) it lies to the south of Whitton village and north west of Stockton-on-Tees. SSSIs are chosen by Natural England, and Whitton Bridge Pasture was designated in 2004 because of its biological interest. It is one of 18 SSSIs in the Cleveland area of search.
Ditchling Common is a 66.5-hectare (164-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of Wivelsfield in East Sussex. It is a country park. which is owned and managed by East Sussex County Council.
Willingford Meadows is a 10.5-hectare (26-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of Burwash in East Sussex.
Far High House Meadows is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Upper Weardale in west County Durham, England. It consists of three fields, located just south of Burnhope Reservoir, some 3 km west of the village of Ireshopeburn. Two of the fields are maintained as northern hay meadows by traditional farming methods, without re-seeding or the application of artificial fertilisers; the third is grazed as pasture.
Cefn Blaenau is a 23-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest in a small upland valley in Carmarthen & Dinefwr, Wales. It was designated an SSSI in 1989 primarily for its flush and spring vegetation as well as the diverse mosaic of unimproved pasture, ‘ffridd’ land, marshy grassland, wet heath, acid grassland, broadleaved woodland, streams, and small rock outcrops. These habitats, which are well represented at this site, have been greatly reduced in north Carmarthenshire due to land improvement, agricultural intensification, and afforestation. Only about 140 hectares of flush and spring vegetation remain in the county.
Coedydd Capel Dyddgen is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthen & Dinefwr, Wales.
Old Castle Down is a Site of Special Scientific Interest between St Brides Major and Ewenny in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales.
Range Farm Fields is a 12.8-hectare (32-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, near to Gloucester City, notified in 1996.
Marloes Mere is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since November 1985 in an attempt to protect its fragile biological elements. The site has an area of 17.17 hectares and is managed by Natural Resources Wales.
Wyndrush Pastures is a Site of Special Scientific Interest south-east of the village of Redberth, just south of the A477, and around 5 km to the north-west of the coastal town of Tenby in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since October 1999 in an attempt to protect its fragile biological elements. The site has an area of 45.5 hectares and is managed by Natural Resources Wales.
Gweunydd Glan-y-glasnant is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Carmarthenshire, Wales, designated in 1993 for its botanical features.
Snailwell Meadows is a 14.8 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Snailwell in Cambridgeshire.
Lount Meadows is a 8.5 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Lount in Leicestershire.
Alex Farm Pastures is a 4.5-hectare (11-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Shadoxhurst in Kent.
Cowden Pound Pastures is a 5.9-hectare (15-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Cowden in Kent. It is managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust
Booton Common'' is an 8.2-hectare (20-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Norwich in Norfolk. It is managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and is a Special Area of Conservation
Foulden Common is a 139-hectare (340-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Downham Market in Norfolk. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2, and part of the Norfolk Valley Fens Special Area of Conservation.
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