List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Tyne and Wear

There are 37 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Tyne and Wear, England. In England, the body responsible for designating SSSIs is Natural England, which chooses sites because of their flora, fauna, geological or physiographical features. 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 with each area being called an Area of Search.

Tyne and Wear is made up of five administrative local authorities consisting mainly of the two largest cities in the region: Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Sunderland, thus making it the sixth largest conurbation in the United Kingdom. Tyne and Wear shares its borders with Northumberland and County Durham, to the north and south respectively.

Sites Site name Reason for Designation Area Grid reference Year in which notified References Biological interest Geological interest Hectares Acres Map CitationBig Waters27.267.21985 Boldon Pastures3.58.61987 Brenkley Meadows9.222.71988 Claxheugh Rock and Ford Limestone Quarry7.118.01987 Cleadon Hills10.024.61984 Dawson's Plantation Quarry0.71.71996 Durham Coast765.41,891.0 – 1999 Eppleton Grassland13.433.0 Fulwell and Carley Hill Quarries6.014.8 & 1987 Gibside89.0219.91989 Gilleylaw Quarry0.20.61986 Gosforth Park37.392.11987 Hallow Hill7.017.31986 Harton Down Hill1.12.71984 Hastings Hill1.33.11984 Herrington Hill6.917.11983 Hetton Bogs11.027.01984 High Haining Hill2.97.21983 High Moorsley6.816.81985 Humbledon Hill Quarry0.10.31985 Hylton Castle Cutting1.12.81986 Joe's Pond4.511.01984 Lower Derwent Meadows4.210.31986 Moorsley Banks5.513.71987 Northumberland Shore1,925.847,574.0 – & – 1992 Pockerley Farm Pond1.43.41984 Prestwick Carr51.4127.01986 Ridley Gill12.230.11985 Ryton Willows6.917.0, , 1985 Shibdon Pond14.636.01985 South Hylton Pasture2.86.91984 Strother Hills8.120.01986 Thornley Wood14.836.61990 Tunstall Hills and Ryhope Cutting15.839.0, & 1988Tynemouth To Seaton Sluice97.9241.9, , 1989 Wear River Bank4.811.91989 West Farm Meadow, Boldon2.86.91989

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. Those SSSIs with more than one OS grid reference are composed of multiple sections, separated by non-SSSI land.

References