Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
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Location | Cambridgeshire |
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Grid reference | TL 162 941 [1] |
Interest | Biological |
Area | 145.8 hectares [1] |
Notification | 2004 [1] |
Location map | Magic Map |
Orton Pit is a 145.8-hectare (360-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the southern outskirts of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. [1] [2] It is also a Special Area of Conservation [3]
This extensive area of disused brick clay workings has the largest known population in Britain of great crested newts. There are ten species of stonewort, including chara canescens, which was previously thought to be extinct in Britain, and four other nationally rare species. The habitats are diverse, with ponds, scrub and rough grassland. [4]
The site is private land with no public access, apart from a small wood in the north-east corner, north of Guelder Road and Ewood Drive.
Rex Graham Reserve is a 2.8-hectare (6.9-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Mildenhall in Suffolk. It is a Special Area of Conservation, and part of the Breckland Special Protection Area. It was formerly managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust.
Bramerton Pits is a 0.7-hectare (1.7-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of the village of Bramerton in Norfolk on the southern banks of the River Yare. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.
Amberley Wild Brooks or Amberley Wildbrooks is a 327.5-hectare (809-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Storrington in West Sussex. An area of 80 hectares is a nature reserve managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Nature Conservation Review site. It is also part of the Arun Valley Ramsar site, Special Area of Conservation and Special Protection Area.
Ketton Quarries is a 115.6 hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Ketton in Rutland. It is a Geological Conservation Review site, and an area of 27.5 hectares is managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Hales and Shadwell Woods is a 15.4-hectare (38-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-east of Saffron Walden in Essex. Shadwell Wood has an area of 7.1 hectares and it is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. Hales Wood is a National Nature Reserve, and it is listed in the Nature Conservation Review.
Barrington Chalk Pit is a 97.1-hectare (240-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Barrington in Cambridgeshire. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.
Eye Gravel Pit is a 0.4 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Eye Green in Cambridgeshire. It is a Geological Conservation Review site, and part of it overlaps Eye Green Local Nature Reserve.
Upware Bridge Pit North is a 2.5 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest northwest of Wicken in Cambridgeshire. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.
Upware North Pit is a 1.1-hectare (2.7-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Wicken in Cambridgeshire.
Upware South Pit is a 1.1 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) north of Upware in Cambridgeshire. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.
Ely Pits and Meadows is an 85.8 hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the eastern outskirts of Ely in Cambridgeshire. It is the only SSSI in the county which is designated both for its biological and geological interest. It is also a Geological Conservation Review site, and an area of 8 hectares is the Roswell Pits nature reserve, which is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
Warboys Clay Pit is a 12.6-hectare (31-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Warboys in Cambridgeshire. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.
Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits is a 1,382.4 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in a chain of flooded gravel pits along 35 kilometres of the valley of the River Nene between Northampton and Thorpe Waterville in Northamptonshire. It is a Ramsar wetland site of international importance, a Special Protection Area under the European Communities Birds Directive and part of the Nene Valley Nature Improvement Area. It is also part of the River Nene Regional Park. Two areas are managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, Summer Leys and Titchmarsh Nature Reserve.
Ditchford Lakes and Meadows is a 31.1 hectare nature reserve Northamptonshire. It is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. It is part of the Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits Site of Special Scientific Interest, Ramsar wetland site of international importance, and Special Protection Area under the European Communities Birds Directive.
Wilson's Pits is a 32 hectare nature reserve west of Higham Ferrers in Northamptonshire. It is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. It is part of the Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits Site of Special Scientific Interest, Ramsar internationally important wetland site and Special Protection Area under the EC Birds Directive.
Richmond Farm Pit, Gedgrave is a 0.57-hectare (1.4-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of Orford in Suffolk. It is a Geological Conservation Review site, and is in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Breckland Forest is an 18,126 hectare biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in many separate areas between Swaffham in Norfolk and Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. It is part of the Breckland Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. It contains two Geological Conservation Review sites, Beeches Pit, Icklingham and High Lodge. Barton Mills Valley is a Local Nature Reserve in the south-west corner of the site.
Peter's Pit is a 28.7-hectare (71-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-east of Snodland in Kent. It is a Special Area of Conservation
Wealden Edge Hangers is a 222.4-hectare (550-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Petersfield in Hampshire. An area of 48 hectares is Wealden Edge Hangers Local Nature Reserve and an area of 144.1 hectares is Ashford Hangers National Nature Reserve. Wealden Edge Hangers is part of the East Hampshire Hangers Special Area of Conservation.