Exposed limestone cliffs on either side of a road with cars on it.
A view of the Cheddar 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 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] 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.[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 list. 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
Aller and Beer Woods Green tickY 56.9 140.6 ST404305 1952 Map
Aller Hill Green tickY 18.4 45.4 ST408291 1988 Map
Asham Wood Green tickY 141.6 347.5 ST705460 1963 Map
Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill Green tickY 67.1 160.1 ST433555 1990 Map
Babcary Meadows Green tickY 13.6 31.6 ST567293 1988 Map
River Barle Green tickY 104.2 257.5 SS723423 1997 Map
Barle Valley Green tickY 622.9 1,539.2 SS850349 1954 Map
Barrington Hill Meadows Green tickY 16.1 39.5 ST300170 1987 Map
Ben Knowle Green tickY 1.5 3.6 ST513450 1984 Map
Berrow Dunes Green tickY 200.0 494.3 ST293520 1952 Map
Black Down and Sampford Commons Green tickY 155.2 383.5 ST118161 1952 Map
Blue Anchor to Lilstock Coast Green tickY 742.8 1,835.5 ST033435 1971 Map
Brean Down Green tickY Green tickY 65.1 169.7 ST290590 1952 Map
Bridgwater Bay Green tickY 3,574.1 8,831.6 ST290480 1989 Map
Briggins Moor Green tickY 15.3 37.8 SS893250 1994 Map
Brimble Pit and Cross Swallet Basins Green tickY 154.3 381.3 ST512505 1987 Map
Bruton Railway Cutting Green tickY 1.7 4.3 ST688348 1971 Map
Catcott Edington and Chilton Moors Green tickY 1,083.0 2,676.0 ST390420 1967 Map
Chancellor's Farm Green tickY 34.2 84.6 ST525525 1984 Map
Cheddar Complex Green tickY Green tickY 441.3 1,090.5 ST465538 1952 Map
Cheddar Reservoir Green tickY 105.4 260.6 ST441537 1972 Map
Cheddar Wood Green tickY 86.9 214.7 ST445552 1967 Map
Cleeve Hill Green tickY 15.1 37.4 ST056428 1989 Map
Cloford Quarry Green tickY 38.9 98.6 ST718444 1994 Map
Cogley Wood Green tickY 60.7 150.1 ST703345 1987 Map
Cook's Wood Quarry Green tickY 1.8 4.4 ST669479 1988 Map
Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill Green tickY Green tickY 332.2 820.9 ST385555 1952 Map
Curry and Hay Moors Green tickY 472.8 1,168.1 ST323273 1992 Map
Deadman Green tickY 28.8 71.2 ST234156 1987 Map
Doulting Railway Cutting Green tickY 2.8 6.9 ST645424 1971 Map
Draycott Sleights Green tickY 62.0 153.0 ST483518 1987 Map
Dunster Park and Heathlands Green tickY 466.6 1,153.0 SS955441 2000 Map
East Polden Grasslands Green tickY 124.0 306.4 ST474325 1999 Map
Ebbor Gorge Green tickY 41.0 156.8 ST525485 1952 Map
Edford Woods and Meadows Green tickY 54.3 134.1 ST665485 1957 Map
Emborough Quarries Green tickY 1.0 2.5 ST623505 1971 Map
Exmoor Coastal Heaths Green tickY 1,758.3 4,344.7 SS620480 1994 Map
Fivehead Arable Fields Green tickY 10.3 25.4 ST337224 1990 Map
Fivehead Woods and Meadow Green tickY 62.4 154.2 ST331231 1989 Map
Freshmoor Green tickY 11.2 27.7 ST280125 1989 Map
Friar's Oven Green tickY 4.0 9.9 ST592431 1989 Map
Ge-mare Farm Fields Green tickY 4.1 10.3 ST155424 1988 Map
Glenthorne Green tickY 13.3 32.8 SS794499 1989 Map
Godminster Lane Quarry and Railway Cutting Green tickY 0.8 1.9 ST682345 1971 Map
Great Breach and Copley Woods Green tickY 64.8 160.0 ST500320 1972 Map
Greylake Green tickY 9.3 22.9 ST384336 1987 Map
Grove Farm Green tickY 36.5 90.2 ST513096 1989 Map
Ham Hill Green tickY 11.1 27.6 ST482162 1971 Map
Hardington Moor Green tickY 8.7 21.6 ST515130 1994 Map
Hestercombe House [D] Green tickY <0.1 0.2 ST242287 2000 Map
Hobbs Quarry Green tickY 0.5 0.1 ST622446 1984 Map
Holme Moor & Clean Moor Green tickY 10.8 26.7 ST095260 1987 Map
Holwell Quarries Green tickY 1.3 3.2 ST726450 1952 Map
Hurcott Farm Green tickY 26.3 65.0 ST511295 1993 Map
Hurcott Lane Cutting Green tickY 0.5 1.2 ST398163 1997 Map
King's Sedgemoor Green tickY 822.0 2,031.2 ST400330 1985 Map
Kingdown and Middledown Green tickY 5.7 14.1 ST480532 1991 Map
Kingweston Meadows Green tickY 11.5 28.4 ST540304 1990 Map
Lamb Leer Green tickY 14.6 36.0 ST544550 1983 Map
Lang's Farm Green tickY 7.5 18.5 ST170241 1990 Map
Langford Heathfield Green tickY 95.4 235.7 ST100235 1966 Map
Langmead and Weston Level Green tickY 168.8 417.1 ST353330 1991 Map
Langport Railway Cutting Green tickY 0.5 1.3 ST427272 1992 Map
Laycock Railway Cutting Green tickY 1.3 3.1 ST678213 1993 Map
Leighton Road Cutting Green tickY 0.6 1.4 ST702437 1984 Map
Long Dole Wood and Meadows[H] Green tickY 9.8 24.3 ST610562 1997 Map
Long Lye Green tickY 11.7 29.0 ST265122 1988 Map
Long Lye Meadow Green tickY 3.3 8.2 ST267119 2002 Map
Longleat Woods Green tickY 249.9 617.4 ST795435 1972 Map
Low Ham Green tickY 5.0 12.5 ST440290 1988 Map
Maes Down Green tickY 0.2 0.4 ST647406 1985 Map
Maesbury Railway Cutting Green tickY 2.0 5.0 ST606475 1995 Map
Miller's Hill, Milborne Wick Green tickY 0.6 1.4 ST663205 1985 Map
Millwater Green tickY 1.4 3.5 ST439100 1989 Map
Moon's Hill Quarry Green tickY 3.4 8.5 ST665460 1996 Map
Moorlinch Green tickY 226.0 558.4 ST390360 1985 Map
Nettlecombe Park Green tickY 90.4 223.4 ST055375 1990 Map
North Brewham Meadows Green tickY 8.9 21.9 ST743379 1987 Map
North Curry Meadow Green tickY 1.3 3.1 ST330253 1989 Map
North Exmoor Green tickY 12,005.3 29,665.0 SS800430 1954 Map
North Moor Green tickY 676.3 1,671.1 ST325305 1986 Map
Old Ironstone Works, Mells Green tickY 0.3 0.6 ST738488 1987 Map
The Perch Green tickY 72.1 178.2 ST480532 1990 Map
Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh Green tickY Green tickY 186.3 460.4 SS880479 1990 Map
Postlebury Wood Green tickY 87.0 215.0 ST740430 1987 Map
Priddy Caves Green tickY 67.1 167.0 ST540505 1965 Map
Priddy Pools Green tickY Green tickY 52.7 130.2 ST545510 1972 Map
Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood Green tickY 103.6 256.0 ST225170 1952 Map
Quantocks Green tickY 2,506.9 6,194.5 ST140390 1970 Map
Quants Green tickY 50.6 126.0 ST185175 1988 Map
Ringdown Green tickY 4.0 9.9 ST178155 1990 Map
Rodney Stoke Green tickY Green tickY 69.6 172.0 ST492507 1957 Map
Roebuck Meadows Green tickY 3.6 8.9 ST132354 1988 Map
Ruttersleigh Green tickY 97.0 239.7 ST250165 1991 Map
Sandpit Hole and Bishop's Lot Green tickY 0.7 1.8 ST531498 1987 Map
Seavington St. Mary Green tickY 0.3 0.7 ST400144 1971 Map
Severn Estuary [E] [F] Green tickY 15,950.0 39,410.0 ST480830 1976 Map
Shapwick Heath Green tickY 394.0 973.6 ST430403 1967 Map
Sharpham Moor Plot Green tickY 0.5 1.3 ST465389 1967 Map
Shepton Montague Railway Cutting Green tickY 1.6 4.0 ST686316 1992 Map
Snowdon Hill Quarry Green tickY 0.6 1.6 ST312089 1963 Map
South Exmoor Green tickY 3,132.7 7,742.3 SS880340 1992 Map
Southey and Gotleigh Moors Green tickY 81.3 200.1 ST192110 1988 Map
Southlake Moor Green tickY 196.1 484.6 ST370300 1985 Map
Sparkford Wood Green tickY 8.4 20.7 ST613275 1954 Map
St. Dunstan's Well Catchment Green tickY Green tickY 39.8 98.3 ST668475 1967 Map
Stowell Meadow Green tickY 2.8 6.9 ST333062 1987 Map
Street Heath Green tickY 12.5 31.0 ST464394 1966 Map
Tealham and Tadham Moors Green tickY 917.6 2,267.3 ST420450 1985 Map
Thrupe Lane Swallet Green tickY 0.5 1.2 ST603458 1992 Map
Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands Green tickY 26.7 65.8 ST270210 1963 Map
Twinhills Woods and Meadows Green tickY 21.2 52.4 ST558432 1990 Map
Vallis Vale Green tickY Green tickY 23.9 59.1 ST755490 1952 Map
Viaduct Quarry Green tickY 0.3 0.8 ST621443 1984 Map
Walton and Ivythorn Hills Green tickY 34.9 86.1 ST475346 1953 Map
West Moor Green tickY 213.0 526.3 ST420220 1985 Map
West Sedgemoor Green tickY 1,016.0 2,510.0 ST361258 1983 Map
Westhay Heath Green tickY 25.9 64.0 ST415422 1990 Map
Westhay Moor Green tickY 513.7 1,269.3 ST455445 1971 Map
Wet Moor Green tickY 491.0 1,214.0 ST448244 1985 Map
Whitevine Meadows Green tickY 13.0 32.0 ST505085 1979 Map
Windsor Hill Marsh Green tickY 0.8 2.0 ST619454 1972 Map
Windsor Hill Quarry Green tickY 0.8 1.9 ST615451 1986 Map
Wookey Hole Caves Green tickY Green tickY 39.4 97.4 ST535485 1952 Map
Wookey Station [G] Green tickY <0.1 0.1 ST531464 1997 Map
Woolhayes Farm Green tickY 13.2 32.5 ST315109 1992 Map
Wurt Pit and Devil's Punchbowl Green tickY 0.2 0.5 ST543537 1987 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 English Nature.
D Size smaller than can be shown with one decimal place. Actual size: 0.08 ha.[4]
E The Severn Estuary SSSI overlaps with the following SSSIs:[4]
F 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.[4]
G Size smaller than can be shown with one decimal place. Actual size: 0.04 ha. (0.1 ac.).[4]
H 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.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Notification of SSSIs". English Nature. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2006.
  2. ^ "SSSIs in Somerset". English Nature. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2006.
  3. ^ "County search of SSSIs". English Nature. Archived from the original on 19 August 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2006.
  4. ^ a b c d e f 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 20 July 2006. Retrieved 7 August 2006.

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