LIST OF SITES OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST IN SOMERSET

__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.^[1] As of 2006, there are 126 sites designated in this Area of Search, of which 82 have been designated due to their biological interest, 35 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, therefore some sites you may expect to find in this list could be in the Avon. 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.

Contents

A - B

C - F

G - K

L - N

O - R

S - T

V - Z

Notes

References

A - B

'Site name'	'Reason for Designation'		'Area'		'Grid reference'	'Year in which notified'	'Map'
	'Biological Interest'	'Geological Interest'	'Hectares'	'Acres'
Aller and Beer Woods			56.9	140.6		1952	1
Aller Hill			18.4	45.4		1988	2
Asham Wood			141.6	347.5		1963	3
Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill			67.1	160.1		1990	4
Babcary Meadows			13.6	31.6		1988	5
River Barle			104.2	257.5		1997	6

|-
| Barle Valley
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 
| align="right" |622.9
| align="right" |1539.2
| align="center" |
| align="center" |1954
| align="center" |7
|-
| Barrington Hill Meadows
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 
| align="right" |16.1
| align="right" |39.5
| align="center" |
| align="center" |1987
| align="center" |8
|-
| Ben Knowle
| align="center" | 
| align="center" |
| align="right" |1.5
| align="right" |3.6
| align="center" |
| align="center" |1984
| align="center" |9
|-
| Berrow Dunes
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 
| align="right" |200.0
| align="right" |494.3
| align="center" |
| align="center" |1952
| align="center" |10
|-
| Black Down and Sampford Commons
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 
| align="right" |155.2
| align="right" |383.5
| align="center" |
| align="center" |1952
| align="center" |11
|-
| Blue Anchor to Lilstock Coast
| align="center" | 
| align="center" |
| align="right" |742.8
| align="right" |1835.5
| align="center" |
| align="center" |1971
| align="center" |12
|-
| Brean Down
| align="center" |
| align="center" |
| align="right" |65.1
| align="right" |169.7
| align="center" |
| align="center" |1952
| align="center" |13
|-
| Bridgwater Bay
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 
| align="right" |3574.1
| align="right" |8831.6
| align="center" |
| align="center" |1989
| align="center" |14
|-
| Briggins Moor
| align="center" |
| align="center" | 
| align="right" |15.3
| align="right" |37.8
| align="center" |
| align="center" |1994
| align="center" |15
|-
| Brimble Pit and Cross Swallet Basins
| align="center" | 
| align="center" |
|align="right" |154.3
| align="right" |381.3
| align="center" |
| align="center" |1987
| align="center" | 16
|-
| Bruton Railway Cutting
| align="center" | 
| align="center" |
| align="right" |1.7
| align="right" |4.3
| align="center" |
| align="center" |1971
| align="center" |17
|}

C - F

'Site name'	'Reason for Designation'		'Area'		'Grid reference'	'Year in which notified'	'Map'
	'Biological Interest'	'Geological Interest'	'Hectares'	'Acres'
Catcott Edington and Chilton Moors			1083.0	2676.0		1967	18
Chancellor's Farm			34.2	84.6		1984	19
Cheddar Complex			441.3	1090.5		1952	20
Cheddar Reservoir			105.4	260.6		1972	21
Cheddar Wood			86.9	214.7		1967	22
Cleeve Hill			15.1	37.4		1989	23
Cloford Quarry			38.9	98.6		1994	24
Cogley Wood			60.7	150.1		1987	25
Cook's Wood Quarry			1.8	4.4		1988	26
Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill			332.2	820.9		1952	27
Curry and Hay Moors			472.8	1168.1		1992	28
Deadman			28.8	71.2		1987	29
Doulting Railway Cutting			2.8	6.9		1971	30
Draycott Sleights			62.0	153.0		1987	31
Dunster Park and Heathlands			466.6	1153.0		2000	32
East Polden Grasslands			124.0	306.4		1999	33
Ebbor Gorge			41.0	156.8		1952	34
Edford Woods and Meadows			54.3	134.1		1957	35
Emborough Quarries			1.0	2.5		1971	36
Exmoor Coastal Heaths			1758.3	4344.7		1994	37
Fivehead Arable Fields			10.3	25.4		1990	38
Fivehead Woods and Meadow			62.4	154.2		1989	39
Freshmoor			11.2	27.7		1989	40
Friar's Oven			4.0	9.9		1989	41

G - K

'Site name'	'Reason for Designation'		'Area'		'Grid reference'	'Year in which notified'	'Map'
	'Biological Interest'	'Geological Interest'	'Hectares'	'Acres'
Ge-mare Farm Fields			4.1	10.3		1988	42
Glenthorne			13.3	32.8		1989	43
Godminster Lane Quarry and Railway Cutting			0.8	1.9		1971	44
Great Breach and Copley Woods			64.8	160.0		1972	45
Greylake			9.3	22.9		1987	46
Grove Farm			36.5	90.2		1989	47
Ham Hill			11.1	27.6		1971	48
Hardington Moor			8.7	21.6		1994	49
Hestercombe House			<0.1	0.2		2000	50
Hobbs Quarry			0.5	0.1		1984	51
Holme Moor & Clean Moor			10.8	26.7		1987	52
Holwell Quarries			1.3	3.2		1952	53
Hurcott Farm			26.3	65.0		1993	54
Hurcott Lane Cutting			0.5	1.2		1997	55
King's Sedgemoor			822.0	2031.2		1985	56
Kingdown and Middledown			5.7	14.1		1991	57
Kingweston Meadows			11.5	28.4		1990	58

L - N

'Site name'	'Reason for Designation'		'Area'		'Grid reference'	'Year in which notified'	'Map'
	'Biological Interest'	'Geological Interest'	'Hectares'	'Acres'
Lamb Leer			14.6	36.0		1983	59
Lang's Farm			7.5	18.5		1990	60
Langford Heathfield			95.4	235.7		1966	61
Langmead and Weston Level			168.8	417.1		1991	62
Langport Railway Cutting			0.5	1.3		1992	63
Laycock Railway Cutting			1.3	3.1		1993	64
Leighton Road Cutting			0.6	1.4		1984	65
Long Lye			11.7	29.0		1988	66
Long Lye Meadow			3.3	8.2		2002	67
Longleat Woods			249.9	617.4		1972	68
Low Ham			5.0	12.5		1988	69
Maes Down			0.2	0.4		1985	70
Maesbury Railway Cutting			2.0	5.0		1995	71
Miller's Hill, Milborne Wick			0.6	1.4		1985	72
Millwater			1.4	3.5		1989	73
Moon's Hill Quarry			3.4	8.5		1996	74
Moorlinch			226.0	558.4		1985	75
Nettlecombe Park			90.4	223.4		1990	76
North Brewham Meadows			8.9	21.9		1987	77
North Curry Meadow			1.3	3.1		1989	78
North Exmoor			12005.3	29665.0		1954	79
North Moor			676.3	1671.1		1986	80

O - R

'Site name'	'Reason for Designation'		'Area'		'Grid reference'	'Year in which notified'	'Map'
	'Biological Interest'	'Geological Interest'	'Hectares'	'Acres'
Old Ironstone Works, Mells			0.3	0.6		1987	81
The Perch			72.1	178.2		1990	82
Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh			186.3	460.4		1990	83
Postlebury Wood			87.0	215.0		1987	84
Priddy Caves			67.1	167.0		1965	85
Priddy Pools			52.7	130.2		1972	86
Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood			103.6	256.0		1952	87
Quantocks			2506.9	6194.5		1970	88
Quants			50.6	126.0		1988	89
Ringdown			4.0	9.9		1990	90
Rodney Stoke			69.6	172.0		1957	91
Roebuck Meadows			3.6	8.9		1988	92
Ruttersleigh			97.0	239.7		1991	93

S - T

'Site name'	'Reason for Designation'		'Area'		'Grid reference'	'Year in which notified'	'Map'
	'Biological Interest'	'Geological Interest'	'Hectares'	'Acres'
Sandpit Hole and Bishop's Lot			0.7	1.8		1987	94
Seavington St. Mary			0.3	0.7		1971	95
Severn Estuary			15950.0	39410.0		1976	96
Shapwick Heath			394.0	973.6		1967	97
Sharpham Moor Plot			0.5	1.3		1967	98
Shepton Montague Railway Cutting			1.6	4.0		1992	99
Snowdon Hill Quarry			0.6	1.6		1963	100
South Exmoor			3132.7	7742.3		1992	101
Southey and Gotleigh Moors			81.3	200.1		1988	102
Southlake Moor			196.1	484.6		1985	103
Sparkford Wood			8.4	20.7		1954	104
St. Dunstan's Well Catchment			39.8	98.3		1967	105
Stowell Meadow			2.8	6.9		1987	106
Street Heath			12.5	31.0		1966	107
Tealham and Tadham Moors			917.6	2267.3		1985	108
Thrupe Lane Swallet			0.5	1.2		1992	109
Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands			26.7	65.8		1963	110
Twinhills Woods and Meadows			21.2	52.4		1990	111

V - Z

'Site name'	'Reason for Designation'		'Area'		'Grid reference'	'Year in which notified'	'Map'
	'Biological Interest'	'Geological Interest'	'Hectares'	'Acres'
Vallis Vale			23.9	59.1		1952	112
Viaduct Quarry			0.3	0.8		1984	113
Walton and Ivythorn Hills			34.9	86.1		1953	114
West Moor			213.0	526.3		1985	115
West Sedgemoor			1016.0	2510.0		1983	116
Westhay Heath			25.9	64.0		1990	117
Westhay Moor			513.7	1269.3		1971	118
Wet Moor			491.0	1214.0		1985	119
Whitevine Meadows			13.0	32.0		1979	120
Windsor Hill Marsh			0.8	2.0		1972	121
Windsor Hill Quarry			0.8	1.9		1986	122
Wookey Hole			39.4	97.4		1952	123
Wookey Station			<0.1	0.1		1997	124
Woolhayes Farm			13.2	32.5		1992	125
Wurt Pit and Devil's Punchbowl			0.2	0.5		1987	126

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.^[5]
: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.).

References

1. Notification of SSSIs
2. SSSIs in Somerset
3. County search of SSSIs
4. ''English Nature'' citation sheets for each SSSI. Retrieved on 2006-08-05. (PDF files).

★ Aller and Beer Woods ★ Aller Hill ★ Asham Woods ★ Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill ★ Babcary Meadows ★ Barle Valley ★ Barrington Hill Meadows ★ Ben Knowle ★ Berrow Dunes ★ Black Down and Sampford Commons ★ Blue Anchor to Lilstock Coast ★ Brean Down ★ Bridgwater Bay ★ Briggins Moor ★ Brimble Pit and Cross Swallet Basins ★ Bruton Railway Cutting ★ Catcott Edington And Chilton Moors ★ Chancellor's Farm ★ The Cheddar Complex ★ Cheddar Reservoir ★ Cheddar Wood ★ Cleeve Hill ★ Cloford Quarry ★ Cogley Wood ★ Cook's Wood Quarry ★ Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill ★ Curry and Hay Moors ★ Deadman ★ Doulting Railway Cutting ★ Draycott Sleights ★ Dunster Park and Heathlands ★ East Polden Grasslands ★ Ebbor Gorge ★ Edford Woods and Meadows ★ Emborough Quarries ★ Exmoor Coastal Heaths ★ Fivehead Arable Fields ★ Fivehead Woods and Meadow ★ Freshmoor ★ Friar's Oven ★ Ge-mare Farm Fields ★ Glenthorne

★ Godminster Lane Quarry and Railway Cutting ★ Great Breach and Copley Woods ★ Greylake ★ Grove Farm ★ Ham Hill ★ Hardington Moor ★ Hestercombe House ★ Hobbs Quarry ★ Holme Moor & Clean Moor ★ Holwell Quarries ★ Hurcott Farm ★ Hurcott Lane Cutting ★ King's Sedgemoor ★ Kingdown and Middledown ★ Kingweston Meadows ★ Lamb Leer ★ Lang's Farm ★ Langford Heathfield ★ Langmead and Weston Level ★ Langport Railway Cutting ★ Laycock Railway Cutting ★ Leighton Road Cutting ★ Long Lye ★ Long Lye Meadow ★ Longleat Woods ★ Low Ham ★ Maes Down ★ Maesbury Railway Cutting ★ Miller's Hill, Milborne Wick ★ Millwater ★ Moon's Hill Quarry ★ Moorlinch ★ Nettlecombe Park ★ North Brewham Meadows ★ North Curry Meadow ★ North Exmoor ★ North Moor ★ Old Ironstone Works, Mells ★ The Perch ★ Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh ★ Postlebury Wood ★ Priddy Caves

★ Priddy Pools ★ Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood ★ Quantocks ★ Quants ★ Ringdown ★ River Barle ★ Rodney Stoke ★ Roebuck Meadows ★ Ruttersleigh ★ Sandpit Hole and Bishop's Lot ★ Seavington St. Mary ★ Severn Estuary ★ Shapwick Heath ★ Sharpham Moor Plot ★ Shepton Montague Railway Cutting ★ Snowdon Hill Quarry ★ South Exmoor ★ Southey and Gotleigh Moors ★ Southlake Moor ★ Sparkford Wood ★ St. Dunstan's Well Catchment ★ Stowell Meadow ★ Street Heath ★ Tealham and Tadham Moors ★ Thrupe Lane Swallet ★ Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands ★ Twinhills Woods and Meadows ★ Vallis Vale ★ Viaduct Quarry ★ Walton and Ivythorn Hills ★ West Moor ★ West Sedgemoor ★ Westhay Heath ★ Westhay Moor ★ Wet Moor ★ Whitevine Meadows ★ Windsor Hill Marsh ★ Windsor Hill Quarry ★ Wookey Hole ★ Wookey Station ★ Woolhayes Farm ★ Wurt Pit And Devil's Punchbowl

5. Guide to National Grid