List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Avon

River flowing through gorge with wooded sides. On the right hand bank is a road
A view of the Avon Gorge, designated as an SSSI for both its biological and its geological interest

This is a list of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in the former county of Avon, 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.[1] Although the county of Avon no longer exists, Natural England still uses its former borders to mark one of its Areas of Search. As of 2006, there are 86 sites designated in this Area of Search, of which 38 have been designated due to their biological interest, 39 due to their geological interest, and 9 for both.[2]

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. The English counties were revised under the 1974 reorganisation of local government. Until the 2010s, Natural England, which maintains the database of English SSSIs, kept the listing of counties as it was in 1974, but by 2015 they had updated their lists to reflect some later changes. However, even though Avon was abolished in 1996 it is still used as an area of search by Natural England, rather than being divided between the Gloucestershire and Somerset lists.[3]

The data in the table is taken from English Nature in the form of citation sheets for each SSSI.[4]

For other counties, see List of SSSIs by Area of Search.

Sites

Site name Reason for designation Area[A] Grid reference[B] Year in which notified Map[C]
Biological interest Geological interest Hectares Acres
Ashton Court Green tick 210.3 519.7 ST553723 1998 Map
Aust Cliff Green tick 5.3 13.1 ST565894 1954 Map
Avon Gorge Green tick Green tick 155.4 384.0 ST560743 1952 Map
Banwell Caves Green tick Green tick 1.7 4.2 ST383588 1963 Map
Banwell Ochre Caves Green tick 12.5 30.8 ST407593 1983 Map
Barnhill Quarry Green tick 3.1 7.7 ST725827 1966 Map
Barns Batch Spinney Green tick 0.1 0.2 ST557659 1987 Map
Bickley Wood Green tick 9.5 23.5 ST644703 1988 Map
Biddle Street, Yatton Green tick 44.8 110.7 ST423648 1994 Map
Bishop's Hill Wood Green tick 30.6 75.6 ST733873 1984 Map
Blagdon Lake Green tick 212.7 525.6 ST515597 1971 Map
Bleadon Hill Green tick 13.5 33.4 ST705943 1999 Map
Bodkin Hazel Wood Green tick 10.6 26.2 ST780850 1974 Map
Bourne Green tick 8.5 20.9 ST484600 1992 Map
Bowlditch Quarry Green tick 0.3 0.6 ST668558 1952 Map
Brinkmarsh Quarry Green tick 0.5 1.2 ST674913 1974 Map
Brockley Hall Stables Green tick 0.1 0.2 ST471669 1987 Map
Brown's Folly Green tick Green tick 39.9 98.5 ST793662 1974 Map
Buckover Road Cutting Green tick 1.7 4.1 ST665906 1967 Map
Burledge Sidelands and Meadows Green tick 48.7 120.3 ST588587 2005 Map
Burrington Combe Green tick Green tick 139.1 343.8 ST478583 1952 Map
Cattybrook Brickpit Green tick 2.2 5.5 ST594835 1989 Map
Chew Valley Lake Green tick 565.2 1,396.6 ST570600 1971 Map
Cleaves Wood Green tick 40.4 99.8 ST758576 1988 Map
Cleeve Wood, Hanham Green tick 8.9 21.9 ST655703 1966 Map
Clevedon Shore Green tick 0.4 0.9 ST402719 1991 Map
Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines Green tick 6.2 15.4 ST761625 1991 Map
Compton Martin Ochre Mine Green tick Green tick 0.9 2.1 ST545570 1988 Map
Congrove Field and The Tumps Green tick 12.5 30.8 ST713698 1991 Map
Court Hill Green tick 10.5 25.8 ST436722 1997 Map
Cullimore's Quarry Green tick 0.9 2.2 ST721927 1974 Map
Damery Road Section Green tick 0.5 1.0 ST705943 1974 Map
Dolebury Warren Green tick 90.6 223.3 ST455590 1952 Map
Dundry Main Road South Quarry Green tick 0.7 1.8 ST566654 1974 Map
Ellenborough Park West Green tick 1.8 4.4 ST319608 1989 Map
Folly Farm Green tick 3.1 7.7 ST607604 1987 Map
Goblin Combe Green tick 51.9 128.2 ST473652 1999 Map
Gordano Valley Green tick Green tick 161.7 399.5 ST435730 1971 Map
Ham Green Green tick 1.1 2.7 ST539738 1990 Map
Hampton Rocks Cutting Green tick 1.3 3.2 ST779666 1990 Map
Harptree Combe Green tick 13.1 32.3 ST561558 1954 Map
Hartcliff Rocks Quarry Green tick 1.6 3.9 ST534662 1991 Map
Hawkesbury Meadow Green tick 3.3 8.2 ST754874 1987 Map
Hawkesbury Quarry Green tick 0.3 0.6 ST771873 1967 Map
Hinton Charterhouse Field Green tick 0.3 0.8 ST764574 1991 Map
Hinton Charterhouse Pit Green tick 0.4 1.0 ST772573 1971 Map
Hinton Hill, Wellow Green tick 0.3 0.6 ST757582 1996 Map
Holly Lane Green tick 0.5 1.2 ST419727 1990 Map
Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton Green tick 4.5 11.0 ST542767 1999 Map
Huish Colliery Quarry Green tick 0.8 2.1 ST695542 1985 Map
Iford Manor Green tick 0.4 1.0 ST802589 1996 Map
Kenn Church, Kenn Pier & Yew Tree Farm Green tick 15.4 38.0 ST415689 1997 Map
Kilmersdon Road Quarry Green tick 0.4 1.1 ST689542 1954 Map
King's Wood and Urchin Wood Green tick 128.1 316.5 ST454645 1990 Map
Long Dole Wood and Meadows[F] Green tick 9.8 24.3 ST610562 1997 Map
Lower Woods Green tick Green tick 280.1 692.2 ST743876 1966 Map
Lulsgate Quarry Green tick 1.1 2.8 ST516659 1997 Map
Max Bog Green tick 10.6 26.2 ST406574 1988 Map
Middle Hope Green tick Green tick 84.1 207.8 ST325662 1952 Map
Midger Green tick 65.7 162.3 ST797895 1966 Map
Monkswood Valley Green tick 30.7 75.9 ST754710 1990 Map
Newton St. Loe Green tick 2.3 5.6 ST715657 1992 Map
Nightingale Valley Green tick 5.4 13.3 ST449751 1989 Map
North Road Quarry, Bath Green tick 0.3 0.7 ST767646 1990 Map
Plaster's Green Meadows Green tick 4.3 10.6 ST532611 1989 Map
Portishead Pier to Black Nore Green tick 71.8 177.4 ST474778 1952 Map
Purn Hill Green tick 6.1 15.1 ST412630 1990 Map
Puxton Moor Green tick 31.1 76.8 ST412630 1994 Map
Quarry Steps, Durdham Down [D] Green tick <0.1 <0.1 ST573747 1990 Map
Severn Estuary [E] Green tick Green tick 15,950.0 39,410.0 ST480830 1976 Map
Shiplate Slait Green tick 33.9 83.8 ST365567 1987 Map
Slickstones Quarry, Cromhall Green tick 2.7 6.6 ST704916 1966 Map
Spring Cove Cliffs Green tick 2.0 4.9 ST310625 1952 Map
St. Catherine's Valley Green tick 156.1 385.7 ST760725 1997 Map
Steep Holm Green tick 25.5 63.0 ST228607 1952 Map
Stidham Farm Green tick 17.3 42.8 ST682684 1991 Map
Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn Moors Green tick 129.4 319.7 ST440700 1995 Map
Tytherington Quarry Green tick 0.9 2.2 ST662888 1989 Map
Uphill Cliff Green tick 19.8 48.9 ST318583 1952 Map
Upton Coombe Green tick 7.4 18.3 ST789877 1989 Map
Walton Common Green tick 25.5 63.0 ST428738 1991 Map
Weston Big Wood Green tick 37.5 92.6 ST455750 1971 Map
Weston-in-Gordano Green tick 12.6 31.0 ST452744 1993 Map
Winterbourne Railway Cutting Green tick 2.0 4.9 ST651799 1990 Map
Writhlington Green tick 0.5 1.2 ST703553 1992 Map
Yanal Bog Green tick 1.6 4.0 ST424607 1988 Map

Notes

A Data rounded to one decimal place.
B Grid reference is based on the British national grid reference system, also known as OSGB36, and is the system used by the Ordnance Survey.[5]
C Link to maps using the Nature on the Map service provided by Natural England.
D Size smaller than can be shown with one decimal place. Actual size: 0.006 (ha.) 0.015 (ac.).[4]
E 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. It also overlaps with several other SSSIs:
The Severn Estuary extends into two other counties and so can be found on lists of SSSIs in Gloucestershire and Somerset.[4]
F The Long Dole Wood and Meadows site extends into the county of Somerset and so can be found on the list of SSSIs in Somerset.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Notification of SSSIs". English Nature. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2006.
  2. ↑ "SSSIs in Avon". English Nature. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2006.
  3. ↑ "Site Search". designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 English Nature citation sheets for each SSSI (PDF files). Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
  5. ↑ "Guide to National Grid". Ordnance Survey. Archived from the original on 27 October 2007. Retrieved 7 August 2006.

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