Woodchester Park SSSI

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Woodchester Park
Site of Special Scientific Interest
View over the Woodchester Park - geograph.org.uk - 1044092.jpg
View over Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Gloucestershire
Location Gloucestershire
Grid reference SO820014
Coordinates 51°42′38″N2°16′39″W / 51.710666°N 2.277596°W / 51.710666; -2.277596
InterestBiological
Area214.9 hectare
Notification 1966
Natural England website

Woodchester Park (grid reference SO820014 ) is a 214.9-hectare (531-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1966. [1] [2] The park grounds are owned and maintained by the National Trust, [3] with Woodchester Mansion managed by the Woodchester Mansion Trust. [4]

Contents

Location and habitat

The site is in a secluded and sheltered valley in the Cotswold escarpment near Nailsworth. It overlies Jurassic limestone and clays. As a consequence it supports a diversity of wildlife and habitat associated with the woodland, grassland and wetland within this valley. [1]

Flora

The site is mostly woodland and managed for timber production. There are remnants of the original semi-natural woodland (beech and ash with wild cherry and yew). There are nationally restricted plants which include fingered sedge, angular Solomon's seal, stinking hellebore and lily-of-the-valley. [1]

Fauna

European badger (Meles meles) - a well-studied resident of Woodchester Park. Tasso (Meles meles).jpg
European badger (Meles meles) - a well-studied resident of Woodchester Park.

Woodchester mansion - an unfinished 19th century mansion house within the park - supports a very important breeding colony of greater horseshoe bats, which feed in the surrounding cattle pasture. A long-term study of the bat colony was set up in late 1950s and continues today. [5] The valley is also of outstanding invertebrate interest for butterflies, moths, dragonflies and some rare snails. There is abundant bird-life and breeding birds include sparrowhawk, green woodpecker and tawny owl. The lakes on the site are also used by overwintering wildfowl, and breeding species such as little grebe and mallard. There are also colonies of the yellow-necked mouse. [1] Additionally, Woodchester Park is notable as the site of the Animal and Plant Health Agency long term study into the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis in badgers. [6]

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Related Research Articles

The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is the Gloucestershire local partner in a conservation network of 46 Wildlife Trusts. The Wildlife Trusts are local charities with the specific aim of protecting the United Kingdom's natural heritage. The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is managed by a board of trustees elected from its membership who provide overall direction for the development of the trust and there are advisory committees. The work of the trust is carried out through staff and volunteers.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shorn Cliff and Caswell Woods</span> Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westbury Brook Ironstone Mine</span>

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Natural England SSSI information on citation, map and unit details". Sssi.naturalengland.org.uk. 1 November 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Stroud District Local Plan, adopted November 2005, Appendix 6 'Sites of Nature Conservation Interest'". Stroud.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  3. ↑ "Woodchester Park | Gloucestershire". National Trust. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  4. ↑ "Home - Woodchester Mansion". 19 September 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  5. ↑ "Woodchester Bat Project | Gareth Jones' Lab | University of Bristol". Gareth Jones' Lab. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  6. ↑ "House of Commons - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Seventh Report". publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
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