Snelsmore Common

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Snelsmore Common
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Snelsmore Common - geograph.org.uk - 936728.jpg
Berkshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Berkshire
Location Berkshire
Grid reference SU 460 710 [1]
Coordinates 51°26′10″N1°20′24″W / 51.436°N 1.340°W / 51.436; -1.340 Coordinates: 51°26′10″N1°20′24″W / 51.436°N 1.340°W / 51.436; -1.340
InterestBiological
Area104.0 hectares (257 acres) [1]
Notification 1989 [1]
Location map Magic Map

Snelsmore Common is a 104-hectare (260-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Newbury in Berkshire. [1] [2] It is owned by West Berkshire Council and managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. [3]

This is a country park which has diverse habitats, including dry heath, wet heath, bog, birch woods and ancient semi-natural broadleaved woodland. The bog has a 5,000 year old layer of peat which has been studied stratigraphically to show changes in ancient land use and vegetation. An area of wet alder woodland has many lichens, including a rich community which grows on trees, such as Parmelia caperarta , Pertusaria pertusa and Lecanactis abietina . [4]

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Hitchcopse Pit

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Bould Wood

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Designated Sites View: Snelsmore Common". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  2. "Map of Snelsmore Common". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  3. "Snelsmore Common Country Park". Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  4. "Snelsmore Common citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 24 October 2019.