List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Avon

__NOTOC__ <onlyinclude> 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. 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.

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.

The data in the table is taken from English Nature in the form of citation sheets for each SSSI.English Nature citation sheets for each SSSI (PDF files). Retrieved on 2006-08-05.

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

Sites Site name Reason for designation Area Grid reference Year in which notified Map Biological interest Geological interest Hectares Acres Ashton Court210.3519.71998 Aust Cliff5.313.11954 Avon Gorge155.4384.01952 Banwell Caves1.74.21963 Banwell Ochre Caves12.530.81983 Barnhill Quarry3.17.71966|}</onlyinclude> Barns Batch Spinney0.10.21987 Bickley Wood9.523.51988 Biddle Street, Yatton44.8110.71994 Bishop's Hill Wood30.675.61984 Blagdon Lake212.7525.61971 Bleadon Hill13.533.41999 Bodkin Hazel Wood10.626.21974 Bourne8.520.91992 Bowlditch Quarry0.30.61952 Brinkmarsh Quarry0.51.21974 Brockley Hall Stables0.10.21987 Brown's Folly39.998.51974 Buckover Road Cutting1.74.11967 Burledge Sidelands and Meadows48.7120.32005 Burrington Combe139.1343.81952 Cattybrook Brickpit2.25.51989 Chew Valley Lake565.21,396.61971 Cleaves Wood40.499.81988 Cleeve Wood, Hanham8.921.91966 Clevedon Shore0.40.91991 Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines6.215.41991 Compton Martin Ochre Mine0.92.11988 Congrove Field and The Tumps12.530.81991 Court Hill10.525.81997 Cullimore's Quarry0.92.21974 Damery Road Section0.51.01974 Dolebury Warren90.6223.31952 Dundry Main Road South Quarry0.71.81974 Ellenborough Park West1.84.4 1989 Folly Farm3.17.71987 Goblin Combe51.9128.21999 Gordano Valley161.7399.51971 Ham Green1.12.71990 Hampton Rocks Cutting1.33.21990 Harptree Combe13.132.31954 Hartcliff Rocks Quarry1.63.91991 Hawkesbury Meadow3.38.21987 Hawkesbury Quarry0.30.61967 Hinton Charterhouse Field0.30.81991 Hinton Charterhouse Pit0.41.01971 Hinton Hill, Wellow0.30.61996 Holly Lane0.51.21990 Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton4.511.01999 Huish Colliery Quarry0.82.11985 Iford Manor0.41.01996 Kenn Church, Kenn Pier & Yew Tree Farm15.438.01997 Kilmersdon Road Quarry0.41.11954 King's Wood and Urchin Wood128.1316.51990 Long Dole Wood and Meadows9.824.31997 Lower Woods280.1692.21966 Lulsgate Quarry1.12.81997 Max Bog10.626.21988 Middle Hope84.1207.81952 Midger65.7162.31966 Monkswood Valley30.775.91990 Newton St. Loe2.35.61992 Nightingale Valley5.413.31989 North Road Quarry, Bath0.30.71990 Plaster's Green Meadows4.310.61989 Portishead Pier to Black Nore71.8177.41952 Purn Hill6.115.11990 Puxton Moor31.176.81994 Quarry Steps, Durdham Down <0.1<0.11990 Severn Estuary 15,950.039,410.01976 Shiplate Slait33.983.81987 Slickstones Quarry, Cromhall2.76.61966 Spring Cove Cliffs2.04.91952 St. Catherine's Valley156.1385.71997 Steep Holm25.563.01952 Stidham Farm17.342.81991 Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn Moors129.4319.71995 Tytherington Quarry0.92.21989 Uphill Cliff19.848.91952 Upton Coombe7.418.31989 Walton Common25.563.01991 Weston Big Wood37.592.61971 Weston-in-Gordano12.631.01993 Winterbourne Railway Cutting2.04.91990 Writhlington0.51.21992 Yanal Bog1.64.01988

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. Link to maps using the Nature on the Map service provided by Natural England. Size smaller than can be shown with one decimal place. Actual size: 0.006 (ha.) 0.015 (ac.). 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. 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.

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