Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods

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Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Sandstone crag, Tilgate Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1757821.jpg
Sandstone crag in Tilgate Wood
Location West Sussex
Grid reference TQ 336 321 [1]
InterestBiological
Geological
Area155.9 hectares (385 acres) [1]
Notification 1987 [1]
Location map Magic Map

Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods is a 155.9-hectare (385-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-east of Crawley in West Sussex, England. [1] [2] It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, [3] and part of it is a Geological Conservation Review site. [4]

These woods have steep sided valleys formed by streams cutting through Wadhurst Clay and Tunbridge Wells sands, exposing outcrops of sandstone. The valleys have a warm, moist micro-climate, with a rich variety of ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens. There is a diverse breeding bird community. Chiddingly Wood is geologically important because weathering of its sandstone has produced sculptured blocks and a comprehensive set of micro-weathering features. [5]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Designated Sites View: Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  2. "Map of Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  3. Ratcliffe, Derek, ed. (1977). A Nature Conservation Review. Vol. 2. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 48. ISBN   0521-21403-3.
  4. "Chiddingly Wood (Quaternary of South-East England)". Geological Conservation Review. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  5. "Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 23 May 2019.

Coordinates: 51°04′23″N0°05′38″W / 51.073°N 0.094°W / 51.073; -0.094