Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
![]() Sylvia's Meadow in summer | |
Location | Cornwall |
---|---|
Grid reference | SX435591 |
Coordinates | 50°30′55″N4°14′26″W / 50.5153°N 4.2406°W Coordinates: 50°30′55″N4°14′26″W / 50.5153°N 4.2406°W |
Interest | Biological |
Area | 4.46 hectares (0.0446 km2; 0.0172 sq mi) |
Notification | 1992 |
Natural England website |
Sylvia's Meadow, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, is a nature reserve owned and managed by Cornwall Wildlife Trust. [1] It is a herb rich, 5-hectare (12-acre) site situated near Gunnislake, in East Cornwall, England.
During World War II a US military camp was situated in Sylvia's Meadow which housed only white American armed forces personnel. Black American airmen were billeted in an adjacent field. [2] Since then the land has been left unploughed and unimproved. In this respect Sylvia's Meadow is virtually unique to Cornwall. [3]
The meadow was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1992. [3]
The reserve is named after a previous owner's daughter.
Sylvia's Meadow is an example of unimproved herb-rich pasture land containing some rare plant species. [3] It is famed for the orchids that grow there, which include the lesser butterfly orchid and heath spotted orchid. [1] Other species found here include: autumn ladies'-tresses, sneezewort, yellow rattle and bird's foot trefoil.
Butterflies that may be seen include wall, orange tip, dingy skipper and the common blue. Reptile sightings include the common lizard and the slow worm.
Lower Woods is a 280.1-hectare (692-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, notified in 1966 and renotified in 1985. The site area has increased at last revision in 1974 to a 284.1-hectare (702-acre) site. The site is a nature reserve managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.
Catcott, Edington and Chilton Moors SSSI is a 1083 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, England notified in 1967. It is close to the villages of Edington and Catcott.
Babcary Meadows is a 13.6 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Babcary in Somerset, notified in 1988.
Ham Hill is an area of chalk downland in Wiltshire, England, on the steep banks running alongside the road from the village of Ham to Buttermere, close to the Berkshire border. A biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, notified in 1971, covers 1.5 hectares of the site; this designation is due to the site's species-rich plant and insect communities, which include some rare species. Notable among these is the musk orchid, which has been confirmed at only one other site in Wiltshire.
Park Gate Down or Parkgate Down is a 7-hectare (17-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-east of Stelling Minnis in Kent. It is also a Special Area of Conservation and is managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust,
Upwood Meadows is a 6 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Upwood in Cambridgeshire. It is also a National Nature Reserve and a Grade I Nature Conservation Review site. It is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
Fancott Woods and Meadows is a 13.3-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest near the hamlet of Fancott in Bedfordshire. It was notified under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and the local planning authority is Central Bedfordshire Council. The site is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
Caeau Llety-cybi is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Ceredigion, west Wales. The lowland meadow site is managed by the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales.
Rosenannon Downs is a nature reserve in mid Cornwall, England, UK, being designated Rosenannon Bog and Downs Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), noted for its biological characteristics. The site supports a wide variety of flora and fauna and includes Bronze Age barrows. Conservation work is carried out on the site by the owners, the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
Monewden Meadows is a 3.7 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of Monewden in Suffolk. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, and it is managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust under the name Martins' Meadows.
Swift's Hill is a 9.15-hectare (22.6-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1966 and renotified in 1984.
Bull Cross, The Frith and Juniper Hill is a 42.33-hectare (104.6-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1954. The site is listed in the ‘Stroud District’ Local Plan, adopted November 2005, Appendix 6 as an SSSI and Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).
Cockleford Marsh is a 3.2-hectare (7.9-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1991.
Minchinhampton Common is a 182.7-hectare (451-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1972.
Puckham Woods is a 32.38-hectare (80.0-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire to the east of Cheltenham near Whittington, notified in 1954. The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).
Rodborough Common is a 116.0-hectare (287-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1954. The site is listed in the ‘Stroud District’ Local Plan, adopted November 2005, Appendix 6 as an SSSI and a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS). The Common is also a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the EU Habitats Directive
Wildmoorway Meadows is a 12.6-hectare (31-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, to the east of Fairford, notified in 1989. The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).
Alpine Meadow is a 0.4 hectare nature reserve near Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. It is a designated biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), managed by the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and the planning authority is Dacorum Borough Council.
Hunsdon Mead is a 34 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) west of Harlow and east of Roydon in Essex. The site is partly in Essex and partly in Hertfordshire, and it is jointly owned and managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust and the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. The SSSI also includes part of the neighbouring Roydon Mead. The planning authorities are East Hertfordshire District Council and Epping Forest District Council. Hunsdon Mead is registered common land.
Ulverscroft Valley is a 110.8 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Markfield in Leicestershire. The site is in five separate blocks, and two areas are nature reserves managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT). Lea Meadows is owned by the LRWT and it is also a scheduled monument. Part of Ulverscroft Nature Reserve is owned by the LRWT and part is owned by the National Trust and leased to the LRWT.