Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Location | East Sussex |
---|---|
Grid reference | TV 541 976 [1] |
Interest | Biological Geological |
Area | 1,108.7 hectares (2,740 acres) [1] |
Notification | 1999 [1] |
Location map | Magic Map |
Seaford to Beachy Head is a 1,108.7-hectare (2,740-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest which stretches from Seaford to Eastbourne in East Sussex. [1] [2] It has several Geological Conservation Review sites. Part of it is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. [3] An area of 150 hectares (370 acres) is a Local Nature Reserve [4] managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust. [5]
This site is of national importance for both its biological and geological features. Its habitats include chalk grassland, maritime grassland, chalk heath, foreshore, chalk cliffs, river meanders, and greensand reef. It has nationally rare plants, invertebrates, and birds. The site also exposes extensive chalk sections dating to the Late Cretaceous epoch around 80 million years ago. [6]
The Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) is a conservation charity which aims to protect natural life in Sussex. It was founded in 1961 and is one of 46 wildlife trusts across the UK and the Isle of Man and Alderney. As of 2019, it has 33,000 members and manages 2,000 hectares of land for nature. It is a registered charity and in the year to 31 March 2019 it had an income of £5.7 million and expenditure of £4 million, resulting in net income of £1.7 million.
Pagham Harbour is a 629-hectare (1,550-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the western outskirts of Bognor Regis in West Sussex. It is a Geological Conservation Review site, a Nature Conservation Review site, a Ramsar site, a Special Protection Area and a Marine Conservation Zone. An area of 599.1 hectares is a Local Nature Reserve.
Pevensey Levels is a 3,603.2-hectare (8,904-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Bexhill-on-Sea and Hailsham in East Sussex. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, a Ramsar site and a Special Area of Conservation. An area of 183.5 hectares is a national nature reserve and an area of 150 hectares is a nature reserve called Pevensey Marshes which is managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust.
Folkestone to Etchinghill Escarpment is a 263.2-hectare (650-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the northern outskirts of Folkestone in Kent. It is a Special Area of Conservation. An area of 205 hectares is a Nature Conservation Review grassland site, Grade 2, and the 70-hectare (170-acre) Asholt Wood at its western end is a Grade 1 woodland site. The reserve has a Geological Conservation Review site.
Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment is a 1,016.4-hectare (2,512-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Reigate in Surrey. It is a Geological Conservation Review site and a Special Area of Conservation. Part of it is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. Two small private nature reserves in the site are managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust, Dawcombe and Fraser Down.
Lewes Downs is a 165-hectare (410-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Lewes in East Sussex. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I and a Special Area of Conservation. Part of it is a national nature reserve, part is Malling Down nature reserve, which is managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust, and part is Mount Caburn, an Iron Age hill fort which is a Scheduled Monument.
Castle Hill is a 114.6-hectare (283-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the eastern outskirts of Brighton in East Sussex. It is a Special Area of Conservation and Nature Conservation Review site. The northern half is a national nature reserve
Marline Valley Woods is a 55.1-hectare (136-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the western outskirts of Hastings in East Sussex. An area of 40.3 hectares is a Local Nature Reserve owned by Hastings Borough Council and managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust.
Firle Escarpment is a 302.1-hectare (747-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Seaford in East Sussex.
Lullington Heath is a 72.7-hectare (180-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Eastbourne in East Sussex. It is a national nature reserve and a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I.
Wouldham to Detling Escarpment is a 311.2-hectare (769-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest which stretches from Wouldham to Detling, north of Maidstone in Kent. Part of it is a Geological Conservation Review site, and it is part of the North Downs Woodlands Special Area of Conservation and the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I and it includes three Kent Wildlife Trust nature reserves and a Local Nature Reserve,
Seaford Head is a 150.2-hectare (371-acre) Local Nature Reserve east of Seaford in East Sussex. It is part of Seaford to Beachy Head Site of Special Scientific Interest An area of 83 hectares is owned by Seaford Town Council and managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust. The rest is divided between Seven Sisters Country Park, which is owned and managed by East Sussex County Council, and an area owned by the National Trust.
Bognor Reef is a 39.7-hectare (98-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest which stretches along the foreshore of Bognor Regis in West Sussex. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.
Burton Park SSSI is a 57.7-hectare (143-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Pulborough in West Sussex. A larger area of 63 hectares, including Chingford Pond to the west, is designated a Local Nature Reserve called Burton and Chingford Ponds, which is managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust and West Sussex County Council. The site is adjacent to Burton Park, a Grade I listed building.
Harting Downs is a 336.3-hectare (831-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Midhurst in West Sussex. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I and an area of 206.6 hectares is a Local Nature Reserve which is owned and managed by the National Trust.
Levin Down is a 25.6-hectare (63-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Midhurst in West Sussex. It is managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust.
Heyshott Down is a 42.6-hectare (105-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Midhurst in West Sussex. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2.
Malling Down is an 85-hectare (210-acre) nature reserve on the eastern outskirts of Lewes in East Sussex. It is managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust. It is part of Lewes Downs, which is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. Special Area of Conservation and Site of Special Scientific Interest.