Rutland is a landlocked^[1] ceremonial county^[2] in the East Midlands of England. In 1974 it was merged to be part of the administrative county of Leicestershire, but in 1997 it was separated to become a unitary local authority, which is responsible for all local services apart from the police and fire service. It is mainly rural, but has two market towns, Oakham, the county town, and Uppingham.^[3][4][5] The county has an area of 151.5 square miles (392 square kilometres), and the 2011 census showed a population of 37,400.^[6]

In England, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are designated by Natural England, a non-departmental public body which is responsible for protecting England's natural environment. Designation as an SSSI gives legal protection to the most important wildlife and geological sites.^[7] As of November 2017, there are 19 SSSIs in the county.^[8] Sixteen are designated for their biological importance, one for its geological importance and two under both criteria.

The largest site is Rutland Water at 1,555.3 hectares (3,843 acres), a Ramsar internationally important wetland site and a Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.^[3][9] The smallest is Tolethorpe Road Verges at 1.0 hectare (2.5 acres), which has several regionally uncommon plants on Jurassic limestone.^[10]

Key

Sites

Site name	Photograph	B	G	Area[a]	Public access	Location[a]	Other classifications	Map[b]	Citation[c]	Description
Bloody Oaks Quarry		Y		1.1 hectares (2.7 acres)[11]	YES	Stamford 52°41′10″N 0°33′50″W / 52.686°N 0.564°W / 52.686; -0.564 ([Bloody Oaks Quarry) SK 971 108[11]	LRWT[12]	Map	Citation	This site has species-rich grassland on Jurassic limestone. The dominant grasses are tor-grass and upright brome and flora include rock-rose, salad burnet, yellow-wort and autumn gentian.[13]
Burley and Rushpit Woods		Y		161.2 hectares (398 acres)[14]	NO	Oakham 52°40′44″N 0°41′02″W / 52.679°N 0.684°W / 52.679; -0.684 (Burley and Rushpit Woods) SK 891 098[14]		Map	Citation	These woods on upper Lias clay have many mature and over-mature trees and considerable dead wood. The dominant tree is oak in most of the forest, giving way to ash in the remainder. The lichens are of regional importance, and the invertebrates include one listed in the Red List of Threatened Species and five which are nationally scarce.[15]
Clipsham Old Quarry and Pickworth Great Wood		Y	Y	111.2 hectares (275 acres)[16]	PP	Oakham 52°43′23″N 0°32′56″W / 52.723°N 0.549°W / 52.723; -0.549 (Clipsham Old Quarry and Pickworth Great Wood) SK 981 149[16]	GCR[17]	Map	Citation	Pickworth Great Wood is one of the largest deciduous woods in the county, with diverse breeding birds and over 150 species of moth. The quarry has dense hawthorn scrub and limestone grassland with a variety of lime loving herbs such as dwarf thistle and yellow-wort. It exposes rocks of the Lincolnshire Limestone, dating to the Bajocian stage in the Middle Jurassic around 170 million years ago.[18]
East Wood, Great Casterton		Y		6.6 hectares (16 acres)[19]		Great Casterton 52°41′35″N 0°30′58″W / 52.693°N 0.516°W / 52.693; -0.516 (East Wood, Great Casterton) TF 004 116[19]		Map	Citation	This semi-natural wood is on boulder clay of glacial origin. The dominant trees are ash, oak and wych elm, with a few wild service trees and small leaved limes. In well-drained areas there is a diverse ground flora typical of ancient woodland.[20]
Empingham Marshy Meadows		Y		14.0 hectares (35 acres)[21]	YES	Oakham 52°40′23″N 0°35′17″W / 52.673°N 0.588°W / 52.673; -0.588 (Empingham Marshy Meadows) SK 956 093[21]		Map	Citation	This site in the valley of North Brook has a complex geological structure and diverse habitats, including grassland and base-rich marsh and fen. Flora in wetter areas include adder's tongue fern, marsh marigold and ragged robin.[22]
Eye Brook Reservoir		Y		201.3 hectares (497 acres)[23]	NO	Uppingham 52°33′04″N 0°44′42″W / 52.551°N 0.745°W / 52.551; -0.745 (Eye Brook Reservoir) SP 852 955[23]		Map[d]	Citation	The reservoir is an important site for wintering wildfowl, such as wigeon, teal, mallard and pochard. Other habitats are marsh, mudflats, grassland, broad-leaved woodland and plantations.[24]
Greetham Meadows		Y		12.4 hectares (31 acres)[25]	YES	Oakham 52°43′52″N 0°36′43″W / 52.731°N 0.612°W / 52.731; -0.612 (Greetham Meadows) SK 938 157[25]	LRWT[26]	Map	Citation	This ridge and furrow meadow is the only known location in the county for the frog orchid. The soil is on boulder clay, and grasses include crested dog's-tail, sweet vernal-grass, upright brome, downy oat-grass and quaking grass. There are several ponds.[27]
Ketton Quarries		Y	Y	115.6 hectares (286 acres)[28]	PP	Stamford 52°38′20″N 0°34′05″W / 52.639°N 0.568°W / 52.639; -0.568 (Ketton Quarries) SK 970 055[28]	GCR,[29][30] LRWT[31]	Map	Citation	The site provides an extensive exposure of the middle Jurassic Bathonian age, dating to around 167 million years ago. It is described by Natural England as "a critical site of considerable importance for lithostratigraphic and facies analysis in the Bathonian rocks of southern Britain". The older workings and spoil heaps are one of the largest areas of semi-natural limestone grassland and scrub in the county.[32]
Luffenham Heath Golf Course		Y		75.1 hectares (186 acres)[33]	NO	Stamford 52°36′36″N 0°35′13″W / 52.610°N 0.587°W / 52.610; -0.587 (Luffenham Heath Golf Course) SK 958 023[33]		Map	Citation	The course is located on several soil types, including calcareous grassland on Jurassic Lower Lincolnshire Limestone, together with acid heath, scrub and broad-leaved woodland. The dominant grasses are tor-grass and upright brome, and the site is notable for its butterflies and its diverse insect species.[34]
Newell Wood		Y		33.3 hectares (82 acres)[35]	NO	Stamford 52°43′05″N 0°31′01″W / 52.718°N 0.517°W / 52.718; -0.517 (Newell Wood) TF 003 144[35]		Map	Citation	This acid semi-natural woodland is mainly on glacial sands and gravels, but some areas are on clays and siltstones. It is dominated by oak and birch, and ground flora includes bracken, wood sorrel and early purple orchid.[36]
North Luffenham Quarry		Y		4.6 hectares (11 acres)[37]	NO	Stamford 52°37′19″N 0°34′55″W / 52.622°N 0.582°W / 52.622; -0.582 (North Luffenham Quarry) SK 961 036[37]		Map	Citation	This is calcareous grassland on thin soils derived from Jurassic Lincolnshire Limestone. Flora include basil thyme, marjoram and bee orchid. There are increasing areas of scrub, and the mixture of habitats has a diverse variety of insect species.[38]
Prior's Coppice		Y		27.4 hectares (68 acres)[39]	YES	Oakham 52°38′13″N 0°43′59″W / 52.637°N 0.733°W / 52.637; -0.733 (Prior's Coppice) SK 831 051[39]	LRWT[40]	Map	Citation	This wood is on poorly drained soils derived from Jurassic Upper Lias clay and glacial boulder clay. The dominant trees are ash and oak, with field maple and hazel in the shrub layer. There is a diverse ground flora typical of ancient clay woods.[41]
Rutland Water		Y		1,555.3 hectares (3,843 acres)[9]	YES	Oakham 52°39′14″N 0°39′43″W / 52.654°N 0.662°W / 52.654; -0.662 (Rutland Water) SK 906 071[9]	LRWT,[42] NCR,[43] Ramsar,[44] SPA[45]	Map	Citation	This major wetland site has exceptional numbers and diversity of migrating and wintering waterfowl, such as goldeneyes, tufted ducks and wigeons. Habitats are lagoons, islands, mudflats, marsh, grassland, scrub and woodland.[43]
Ryhall Pasture and Little Warren Verges		Y		6.2 hectares (15 acres)[46]	PP	Stamford 52°42′40″N 0°29′24″W / 52.711°N 0.490°W / 52.711; -0.490 (Ryhall Pasture and Little Warren Verges) TF 021 137[46]		Map[e]	Citation	The main grasses on Ryhall Pasture are tor-grass, upright brome and red fescue. The soil is on Jurassic Upper Lincolnshire Limestone, and the rich herb flora include clustered bellflower and greater knapweed.[47]
Seaton Meadows		Y		11.4 hectares (28 acres)[48]	YES	Oakham 52°34′16″N 0°39′04″W / 52.571°N 0.651°W / 52.571; -0.651 (Seaton Meadows) SP 915 979[48]	Plantlife[49]	Map	Citation	This site is traditionally managed as hay pasture, and it is an example of unimproved alluvial flood meadows, a rare habitat due to agricultural developments. The grasses are diverse, including meadow foxtail, red fescue, sweet vernal grass and Yorkshire fog.[50]
Shacklewell Hollow		Y		3.2 hectares (7.9 acres)[51]	NO	Oakham 52°39′29″N 0°33′29″W / 52.658°N 0.558°W / 52.658; -0.558 (Shacklewell Hollow) SK 976 077[51]		Map	Citation	This marshy site is in the valley of a tributary of the River Gwash. The marsh is dominated by hard rush, and there are several artificial ponds with large populations of mare's tail. There are also areas of calcareous grassland and alder wood.[52]
Tickencote Marsh		Y		3.0 hectares (7.4 acres)[53]	NO	Stamford 52°40′16″N 0°32′56″W / 52.671°N 0.549°W / 52.671; -0.549 (Tickencote Marsh) SK 982 091[53]		Map	Citation	This site in the valley of the River Gwash is a base-rich grazing marsh, a habitat which is becoming increasingly rare as a result of drainage and a decline in grazing. Common flora include lesser pond-sedge, marsh horsetail and jointed rush.[54]
Tolethorpe Road Verges		Y		1.0 hectare (2.5 acres)[55]	YES	Stamford 52°40′55″N 0°30′14″W / 52.682°N 0.504°W / 52.682; -0.504 (Tolethorpe Road Verges) TF 012 104[55]		Map	Citation	These grass road verges on Jurassic limestone have several regionally uncommon plants. They are dominated by tor-grass and upright brome, and there are calcareous grassland herbs such as spiny restharrow and stemless thistle.[10]
Wing Water Treatment Works			Y	1.5 hectares (3.7 acres)[56]	YES	Oakham 52°36′50″N 0°40′34″W / 52.614°N 0.676°W / 52.614; -0.676 (Wing Water Treatment Works) SK 898 026[56]	GCR[57]	Map	Citation	This site is statigraphically important both regionally and nationally, as it has the longest sequence known in Britain of deposits from the warm Ipswichian interglacial around 120,000 years ago, and it has yielded new paleobotanical records for this period.[58]