List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Avon

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. Natural England, like its predecessor, uses the 1974–1996 county system^[3] and as such the same approach is followed here, rather than splitting these sites between the Somerset and Gloucestershire lists. 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

Contents :

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• K
• L
• M
• N
• P
• Q
• S
• T
• U
• W
• Y

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

• Avon: Spring Cove Cliffs, Middle Hope, Portishead Pier to Black Nore and Aust Cliff.
• Gloucestershire: Purton Passage
• Somerset: Brean Down
• South Glamorgan: Penarth Coast

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. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
2. "SSSIs in Avon". English Nature. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
3. "County search of SSSIs". English Nature. Retrieved 2006-08-05.
4. English Nature citation sheets for each SSSI (PDF files). Retrieved on 2006-08-05.

   "Ashton Court" (PDF). "Aust Cliff" (PDF). "Avon Gorge" (PDF). "Banwell Caves" (PDF). "Banwell Ochre Caves" (PDF). "Barnhill Quarry" (PDF). "Barns Batch Spinney" (PDF). "Bickley Wood" (PDF). "Biddle Street, Yatton" (PDF). "Bishop's Hill Wood" (PDF). "Blagdon Lake" (PDF). "Bleadon Hill" (PDF). "Bodkin Hazel Wood" (PDF). "Bourne" (PDF). "Bowlditch Quarry" (PDF). "Brinkmarsh Quarry" (PDF). "Brockley Hall Stables" (PDF). "Brown's Folly" (PDF). "Buckover Road Cutting" (PDF). "Burledge Sidelands and Meadows" (PDF). "Burrington Combe" (PDF). "Cattybrook Brickpit" (PDF). "Chew Valley Lake" (PDF). "Cleaves Wood" (PDF). "Cleeve Wood, Hanham" (PDF). "Clevedon Shore" (PDF). "Combe Down And Bathampton Down Mines" (PDF). "Compton Martin Ochre Mine" (PDF). "Congrove Field And The Tumps" (PDF).

   "Court Hill" (PDF). "Cullimore's Quarry" (PDF). "Damery Road Section" (PDF). "Dolebury Warren" (PDF). "Dundry Main Road South Quarry" (PDF). "Ellenborough Park West" (PDF). "Folly Farm" (PDF). "Goblin Combe" (PDF). "Gordano Valley" (PDF). "Ham Green" (PDF). "Hampton Rocks Cutting" (PDF). "Harptree Combe" (PDF). "Hartcliff Rocks Quarry" (PDF). "Hawkesbury Meadow" (PDF). "Hawkesbury Quarry" (PDF). "Hinton Charterhouse Field" (PDF). "Hinton Charterhouse Pit" (PDF). "Hinton Hill, Wellow" (PDF). "Holly Lake" (PDF). "Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton" (PDF). "Huish Colliery Quarry" (PDF). "Iford Manor" (PDF). "Kenn Church, Kenn Pier and Yew Tree Farm" (PDF). "Kilmersdon Road Quarry" (PDF). "King's Wood and Urchin Wood" (PDF). "Long Dole Wood and Meadows" (PDF). "Lower Woods" (PDF). "Lulsgate Quarry" (PDF). "Max Bog" (PDF).

   "Middle Hope" (PDF). "Midger" (PDF). "Monkswood Valley" (PDF). "Newton St Loe" (PDF). "Nightingale Valley" (PDF). "North Road Quarry, Bath" (PDF). "Plaster's Green Meadows" (PDF). "Portishead Pier to Black Nore" (PDF). "Purn Hill" (PDF). "Puxton Moor" (PDF). "Quarry Steps, Durdham Down" (PDF). "Severn Estuary" (PDF). "Shiplate Slait" (PDF). "Slickstones Quarry, Cromhall" (PDF). "Spring Cove Cliffs" (PDF). "St Catherine's Valley" (PDF). "Steep Holm" (PDF). "Stidham Farm" (PDF). "Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn Moors" (PDF). "Tytherington Quarry" (PDF). "Uphill Cliff" (PDF). "Upton Coombe" (PDF). "Walton Common" (PDF). "Weston Big Wood" (PDF). "Weston-in-Gordano" (PDF). "Winterbourne Railway Cutting" (PDF). "Writhlington" (PDF). "Yanal Bog" (PDF).

5. "Guide to National Grid". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 2006-08-07.