__NOTOC__ This is a list of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Somerset, England, United Kingdom. In England the body responsible for designating SSSIs is Natural England, which chooses a site because of its fauna, flora, geological or physiographical features. There are 127 sites designated in this Area of Search, of which 83 have been designated due to their biological interest, 35 due to their geological interest, and 9 for both.
Natural England took over the role of designating and managing SSSIs from English Nature in October 2006 when it was formed from the amalgamation of English Nature, parts of the Countryside Agency and the Rural Development Service. Natural England, like its predecessor, uses the 1974–1996 county system, and as such the same approach is followed here, therefore some sites you may expect to find in this list could be in the Avon list. The data in the table is taken from English Nature in the form of citation sheets for each SSSI.English Nature citation sheets for each SSSI (PDF files). Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
For other counties, see List of SSSIs by Area of Search.
Sites
Site name Reason for designation Area Grid reference Year in which notified Map Biological interest Geological interest Hectares Acres Aller and Beer Woods56.9140.61952 Aller Hill18.445.41988 Asham Wood141.6347.51963 Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill67.1160.11990 Babcary Meadows13.631.61988 River Barle104.2257.51997 Barle Valley622.91,539.21954 Barrington Hill Meadows16.139.51987 Ben Knowle1.53.61984 Berrow Dunes200.0494.31952 Black Down and Sampford Commons155.2383.51952 Blue Anchor to Lilstock Coast742.81,835.51971 Brean Down65.1169.71952 Bridgwater Bay3,574.18,831.61989 Briggins Moor15.337.81994 Brimble Pit and Cross Swallet Basins154.3381.31987 Bruton Railway Cutting1.74.31971 Catcott Edington and Chilton Moors1,083.02,676.01967 Chancellor's Farm34.284.61984 Cheddar Complex441.31,090.51952 Cheddar Reservoir105.4260.61972 Cheddar Wood86.9214.71967 Cleeve Hill15.137.41989 Cloford Quarry38.998.61994 Cogley Wood60.7150.11987 Cook's Wood Quarry1.84.41988 Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill332.2820.91952 Curry and Hay Moors472.81,168.11992 Deadman28.871.21987 Doulting Railway Cutting2.86.91971 Draycott Sleights62.0153.01987 Dunster Park and Heathlands466.61,153.02000 East Polden Grasslands124.0306.41999 Ebbor Gorge41.0156.81952 Edford Woods and Meadows54.3134.11957 Emborough Quarries1.02.51971 Exmoor Coastal Heaths1,758.34,344.71994 Fivehead Arable Fields10.325.41990 Fivehead Woods and Meadow62.4154.21989 Freshmoor11.227.71989 Friar's Oven4.09.91989 Ge-mare Farm Fields4.110.31988 Glenthorne13.332.81989 Godminster Lane Quarry and Railway Cutting0.81.91971 Great Breach and Copley Woods64.8160.01972 Greylake9.322.91987 Grove Farm36.590.21989 Ham Hill11.127.61971 Hardington Moor8.721.61994 Hestercombe House <0.10.22000 Hobbs Quarry0.50.11984 Holme Moor & Clean Moor10.826.71987 Holwell Quarries1.33.21952 Hurcott Farm26.365.01993 Hurcott Lane Cutting0.51.21997 King's Sedgemoor822.02,031.21985 Kingdown and Middledown5.714.11991 Kingweston Meadows11.528.41990 Lamb Leer14.636.01983 Lang's Farm7.518.51990 Langford Heathfield95.4235.71966 Langmead and Weston Level168.8417.11991 Langport Railway Cutting0.51.31992 Laycock Railway Cutting1.33.11993 Leighton Road Cutting0.61.41984 Long Dole Wood and Meadows9.824.31997 Long Lye11.729.01988 Long Lye Meadow3.38.22002 Longleat Woods249.9617.41972 Low Ham5.012.51988 Maes Down0.20.41985 Maesbury Railway Cutting2.05.01995 Miller's Hill, Milborne Wick0.61.41985 Millwater1.43.51989 Moon's Hill Quarry3.48.51996 Moorlinch226.0558.41985 Nettlecombe Park90.4223.41990 North Brewham Meadows8.921.91987 North Curry Meadow1.33.11989 North Exmoor12,005.329,665.01954 North Moor676.31,671.11986 Old Ironstone Works, Mells0.30.61987 The Perch72.1178.21990 Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh186.3460.41990 Postlebury Wood87.0215.01987 Priddy Caves67.1167.01965 Priddy Pools52.7130.21972 Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood103.6256.01952 Quantocks2,506.96,194.51970 Quants50.6126.01988 Ringdown4.09.91990 Rodney Stoke69.6172.01957 Roebuck Meadows3.68.91988 Ruttersleigh97.0239.71991 Sandpit Hole and Bishop's Lot0.71.81987 Seavington St. Mary0.30.71971 Severn Estuary 15,950.039,410.01976 Shapwick Heath394.0973.61967 Sharpham Moor Plot0.51.31967 Shepton Montague Railway Cutting1.64.01992 Snowdon Hill Quarry0.61.61963 South Exmoor3,132.77,742.31992 Southey and Gotleigh Moors81.3200.11988 Southlake Moor196.1484.61985 Sparkford Wood8.420.71954 St. Dunstan's Well Catchment39.898.31967 Stowell Meadow2.86.91987 Street Heath12.531.01966 Tealham and Tadham Moors917.62,267.31985 Thrupe Lane Swallet0.51.21992 Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands26.765.81963 Twinhills Woods and Meadows21.252.41990 Vallis Vale23.959.11952 Viaduct Quarry0.30.81984 Walton and Ivythorn Hills34.986.11953 West Moor213.0526.31985 West Sedgemoor1,016.02,510.01983 Westhay Heath25.964.01990 Westhay Moor513.71,269.31971 Wet Moor491.01,214.01985 Whitevine Meadows13.032.01979 Windsor Hill Marsh0.82.01972 Windsor Hill Quarry0.81.91986 Wookey Hole Caves39.497.41952 Wookey Station <0.10.11997 Woolhayes Farm13.232.51992 Wurt Pit and Devil's Punchbowl0.20.51987
Notes Data rounded to one decimal place. Grid reference is based on the British national grid reference system, also known as OSGB36, and is the system used by the Ordnance Survey. Link to maps using the Nature on the Map service provided by English Nature. Size smaller than can be shown with one decimal place. Actual size: 0.08 ha. The Severn Estuary SSSI overlaps with the following SSSIs: Avon: Spring Cove Cliffs, Middle Hope, Portishead Pier to Black Nore and Aust Cliff. Gloucestershire: Purton Passage South Glamorgan: Penarth Coast Incorporates two former SSSIs: Severn Estuary (notified 1976) and part of Brean Down and Uphill Cliff (notified 1952). It was unified as Severn Estuary in 1989. Size smaller than can be shown with one decimal place. Actual size: 0.04 ha. (0.1 ac.). The Long Dole Wood and Meadows site extends into Bath and North East Somerset and so can be found on the list of SSSIs in Avon.
References