Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Location | West Sussex |
---|---|
Grid reference | TQ 336 321 [1] |
Interest | Biological Geological |
Area | 155.9 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]
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.
Ham Street Woods is a 175.2-hectare (433-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Ashford in Kent. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, and an area of 97.1 hectares is a National Nature Reserve.
Wye and Crundale Downs is a 358.3-hectare (885-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in a number of separate areas east of Ashford in Kent. It is a Special Area of Conservation and a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. and it is part of Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Some areas are part of a National Nature Reserve, and another area is listed on the Geological Conservation Review.
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.
High Rocks is a 3.2-hectare (7.9-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Tunbridge Wells in East Sussex and Kent. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.
Hastingford Cutting is a 0.04-hectare (0.099-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Crowborough in East Sussex. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.
Stone Farm Rocks or Stone Hill Rocks is a 0.6-hectare (1.5-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of East Grinstead in West Sussex. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.
Rusthall Common is a 2.7-hectare (6.7-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Rusthall, a suburb of Tunbridge Wells in Kent. It is a Geological Conservation Review site. It is owned by the Manor of Rusthall and managed by Tunbridge Wells Commons Conservators.
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,
Slinfold Stream and Quarry is a 2.3-hectare (5.7-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Horsham in West Sussex. It is a Geological Conservation Review site.