In England, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are designated by Natural England, which is responsible for protecting England's natural environment. Designation as an SSSI gives legal protection to the most important wildlife and geological sites.
Berkshire lies in the valleys of the Thames and its tributary, the River Kennet, and in the west it is crossed by chalk hills. It has a population of more than 860,000. It is no longer an administrative county following the abolition of Berkshire County Council in 1998. It is governed by six unitary authorities: Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham.
As of September 2019, there are 70 SSSIs in Berkshire, of which 8 are listed for their geological interest and 62 for their biological interest. Eight are Geological Conservation Review sites, three are Nature Conservation Review sites, two are Ramsar sites, five are Special Areas of Conservation, five are Special Protection Areas, five are Local nature reserves, one is listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens and two contain Scheduled monuments. Fifteen sites are managed by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, one by Surrey Wildlife Trust and three by the National Trust.
Interest B = site of biological interest G = site of geological interest
Public access FP = access to footpaths through the site only NO = no public access to site PL = public access at limited times PP = public access to part of site YES = public access to all or most of the site
Other classifications BBOWT = Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust GCR = Geological Conservation Review site LNR = Local nature reserve NCR = Nature Conservation Review site NT = National Trust Ramsar = Ramsar site, an internationally important wetland site RHPG= Register of Historic Parks and Gardens SAC = Special Area of Conservation SM = Scheduled monument SPA = Special Protection Area for birds SWT = Surrey Wildlife Trust
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