List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset

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. 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.

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, 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.

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		1952	Template:Nature on the map
Aller Hill	Green tickY		18.4	45.4		1988	Template:Nature on the map
Asham Wood	Green tickY		141.6	347.5		1963	Template:Nature on the map
Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill	Green tickY		67.1	160.1		1990	Template:Nature on the map
Babcary Meadows	Green tickY		13.6	31.6		1988	Template:Nature on the map
River Barle	Green tickY		104.2	257.5		1997	Template:Nature on the map
Barle Valley	Green tickY		622.9	1,539.2		1954	Template:Nature on the map
Barrington Hill Meadows	Green tickY		16.1	39.5		1987	Template:Nature on the map
Ben Knowle		Green tickY	1.5	3.6		1984	Template:Nature on the map
Berrow Dunes	Green tickY		200.0	494.3		1952	Template:Nature on the map
Black Down and Sampford Commons	Green tickY		155.2	383.5		1952	Template:Nature on the map
Blue Anchor to Lilstock Coast		Green tickY	742.8	1,835.5		1971	Template:Nature on the map
Brean Down	Green tickY	Green tickY	65.1	169.7		1952	Template:Nature on the map
Bridgwater Bay	Green tickY		3,574.1	8,831.6		1989	Template:Nature on the map
Briggins Moor	Green tickY		15.3	37.8		1994	Template:Nature on the map
Brimble Pit and Cross Swallet Basins		Green tickY	154.3	381.3		1987	Template:Nature on the map
Bruton Railway Cutting		Green tickY	1.7	4.3		1971	Template:Nature on the map
Catcott Edington and Chilton Moors	Green tickY		1,083.0	2,676.0		1967	Template:Nature on the map
Chancellor's Farm	Green tickY		34.2	84.6		1984	Template:Nature on the map
Cheddar Complex	Green tickY	Green tickY	441.3	1,090.5		1952	Template:Nature on the map
Cheddar Reservoir	Green tickY		105.4	260.6		1972	Template:Nature on the map
Cheddar Wood	Green tickY		86.9	214.7		1967	Template:Nature on the map
Cleeve Hill	Green tickY		15.1	37.4		1989	Template:Nature on the map
Cloford Quarry		Green tickY	38.9	98.6		1994	Template:Nature on the map
Cogley Wood	Green tickY		60.7	150.1		1987	Template:Nature on the map
Cook's Wood Quarry		Green tickY	1.8	4.4		1988	Template:Nature on the map
Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill	Green tickY	Green tickY	332.2	820.9		1952	Template:Nature on the map
Curry and Hay Moors	Green tickY		472.8	1,168.1		1992	Template:Nature on the map
Deadman	Green tickY		28.8	71.2		1987	Template:Nature on the map
Doulting Railway Cutting		Green tickY	2.8	6.9		1971	Template:Nature on the map
Draycott Sleights	Green tickY		62.0	153.0		1987	Template:Nature on the map
Dunster Park and Heathlands	Green tickY		466.6	1,153.0		2000	Template:Nature on the map
East Polden Grasslands	Green tickY		124.0	306.4		1999	Template:Nature on the map
Ebbor Gorge	Green tickY		41.0	156.8		1952	Template:Nature on the map
Edford Woods and Meadows	Green tickY		54.3	134.1		1957	Template:Nature on the map
Emborough Quarries		Green tickY	1.0	2.5		1971	Template:Nature on the map
Exmoor Coastal Heaths	Green tickY		1,758.3	4,344.7		1994	Template:Nature on the map
Fivehead Arable Fields	Green tickY		10.3	25.4		1990	Template:Nature on the map
Fivehead Woods and Meadow	Green tickY		62.4	154.2		1989	Template:Nature on the map
Freshmoor	Green tickY		11.2	27.7		1989	Template:Nature on the map
Friar's Oven	Green tickY		4.0	9.9		1989	Template:Nature on the map
Ge-mare Farm Fields	Green tickY		4.1	10.3		1988	Template:Nature on the map
Glenthorne		Green tickY	13.3	32.8		1989	Template:Nature on the map
Godminster Lane Quarry and Railway Cutting		Green tickY	0.8	1.9		1971	Template:Nature on the map
Great Breach and Copley Woods	Green tickY		64.8	160.0		1972	Template:Nature on the map
Greylake		Green tickY	9.3	22.9		1987	Template:Nature on the map
Grove Farm	Green tickY		36.5	90.2		1989	Template:Nature on the map
Ham Hill		Green tickY	11.1	27.6		1971	Template:Nature on the map
Hardington Moor	Green tickY		8.7	21.6		1994	Template:Nature on the map
Hestercombe House [D]	Green tickY		<0.1	0.2		2000	Template:Nature on the map
Hobbs Quarry		Green tickY	0.5	0.1		1984	Template:Nature on the map
Holme Moor & Clean Moor	Green tickY		10.8	26.7		1987	Template:Nature on the map
Holwell Quarries		Green tickY	1.3	3.2		1952	Template:Nature on the map
Hurcott Farm		Green tickY	26.3	65.0		1993	Template:Nature on the map
Hurcott Lane Cutting		Green tickY	0.5	1.2		1997	Template:Nature on the map
King's Sedgemoor	Green tickY		822.0	2,031.2		1985	Template:Nature on the map
Kingdown and Middledown	Green tickY		5.7	14.1		1991	Template:Nature on the map
Kingweston Meadows	Green tickY		11.5	28.4		1990	Template:Nature on the map
Lamb Leer		Green tickY	14.6	36.0		1983	Template:Nature on the map
Lang's Farm	Green tickY		7.5	18.5		1990	Template:Nature on the map
Langford Heathfield	Green tickY		95.4	235.7		1966	Template:Nature on the map
Langmead and Weston Level	Green tickY		168.8	417.1		1991	Template:Nature on the map
Langport Railway Cutting		Green tickY	0.5	1.3		1992	Template:Nature on the map
Laycock Railway Cutting		Green tickY	1.3	3.1		1993	Template:Nature on the map
Leighton Road Cutting		Green tickY	0.6	1.4		1984	Template:Nature on the map
Long Dole Wood and Meadows[H]	Green tickY		9.8	24.3		1997	Template:Nature on the map
Long Lye	Green tickY		11.7	29.0		1988	Template:Nature on the map
Long Lye Meadow	Green tickY		3.3	8.2		2002	Template:Nature on the map
Longleat Woods	Green tickY		249.9	617.4		1972	Template:Nature on the map
Low Ham		Green tickY	5.0	12.5		1988	Template:Nature on the map
Maes Down		Green tickY	0.2	0.4		1985	Template:Nature on the map
Maesbury Railway Cutting		Green tickY	2.0	5.0		1995	Template:Nature on the map
Miller's Hill, Milborne Wick		Green tickY	0.6	1.4		1985	Template:Nature on the map
Millwater	Green tickY		1.4	3.5		1989	Template:Nature on the map
Moon's Hill Quarry		Green tickY	3.4	8.5		1996	Template:Nature on the map
Moorlinch	Green tickY		226.0	558.4		1985	Template:Nature on the map
Nettlecombe Park	Green tickY		90.4	223.4		1990	Template:Nature on the map
North Brewham Meadows	Green tickY		8.9	21.9		1987	Template:Nature on the map
North Curry Meadow	Green tickY		1.3	3.1		1989	Template:Nature on the map
North Exmoor	Green tickY		12,005.3	29,665.0		1954	Template:Nature on the map
North Moor	Green tickY		676.3	1,671.1		1986	Template:Nature on the map
Old Ironstone Works, Mells	Green tickY		0.3	0.6		1987	Template:Nature on the map
The Perch	Green tickY		72.1	178.2		1990	Template:Nature on the map
Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh	Green tickY	Green tickY	186.3	460.4		1990	Template:Nature on the map
Postlebury Wood	Green tickY		87.0	215.0		1987	Template:Nature on the map
Priddy Caves		Green tickY	67.1	167.0		1965	Template:Nature on the map
Priddy Pools	Green tickY	Green tickY	52.7	130.2		1972	Template:Nature on the map
Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood	Green tickY		103.6	256.0		1952	Template:Nature on the map
Quantocks	Green tickY		2,506.9	6,194.5		1970	Template:Nature on the map
Quants	Green tickY		50.6	126.0		1988	Template:Nature on the map
Ringdown	Green tickY		4.0	9.9		1990	Template:Nature on the map
Rodney Stoke	Green tickY	Green tickY	69.6	172.0		1957	Template:Nature on the map
Roebuck Meadows	Green tickY		3.6	8.9		1988	Template:Nature on the map
Ruttersleigh	Green tickY		97.0	239.7		1991	Template:Nature on the map
Sandpit Hole and Bishop's Lot		Green tickY	0.7	1.8		1987	Template:Nature on the map
Seavington St. Mary		Green tickY	0.3	0.7		1971	Template:Nature on the map
Severn Estuary [E] [F]	Green tickY		15,950.0	39,410.0		1976	Template:Nature on the map
Shapwick Heath	Green tickY		394.0	973.6		1967	Template:Nature on the map
Sharpham Moor Plot	Green tickY		0.5	1.3		1967	Template:Nature on the map
Shepton Montague Railway Cutting		Green tickY	1.6	4.0		1992	Template:Nature on the map
Snowdon Hill Quarry		Green tickY	0.6	1.6		1963	Template:Nature on the map
South Exmoor	Green tickY		3,132.7	7,742.3		1992	Template:Nature on the map
Southey and Gotleigh Moors	Green tickY		81.3	200.1		1988	Template:Nature on the map
Southlake Moor	Green tickY		196.1	484.6		1985	Template:Nature on the map
Sparkford Wood	Green tickY		8.4	20.7		1954	Template:Nature on the map
St. Dunstan's Well Catchment	Green tickY	Green tickY	39.8	98.3		1967	Template:Nature on the map
Stowell Meadow	Green tickY		2.8	6.9		1987	Template:Nature on the map
Street Heath	Green tickY		12.5	31.0		1966	Template:Nature on the map
Tealham and Tadham Moors	Green tickY		917.6	2,267.3		1985	Template:Nature on the map
Thrupe Lane Swallet		Green tickY	0.5	1.2		1992	Template:Nature on the map
Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands	Green tickY		26.7	65.8		1963	Template:Nature on the map
Twinhills Woods and Meadows	Green tickY		21.2	52.4		1990	Template:Nature on the map
Vallis Vale	Green tickY	Green tickY	23.9	59.1		1952	Template:Nature on the map
Viaduct Quarry		Green tickY	0.3	0.8		1984	Template:Nature on the map
Walton and Ivythorn Hills	Green tickY		34.9	86.1		1953	Template:Nature on the map
West Moor	Green tickY		213.0	526.3		1985	Template:Nature on the map
West Sedgemoor	Green tickY		1,016.0	2,510.0		1983	Template:Nature on the map
Westhay Heath	Green tickY		25.9	64.0		1990	Template:Nature on the map
Westhay Moor	Green tickY		513.7	1,269.3		1971	Template:Nature on the map
Wet Moor	Green tickY		491.0	1,214.0		1985	Template:Nature on the map
Whitevine Meadows	Green tickY		13.0	32.0		1979	Template:Nature on the map
Windsor Hill Marsh	Green tickY		0.8	2.0		1972	Template:Nature on the map
Windsor Hill Quarry		Green tickY	0.8	1.9		1986	Template:Nature on the map
Wookey Hole Caves	Green tickY	Green tickY	39.4	97.4		1952	Template:Nature on the map
Wookey Station [G]		Green tickY	<0.1	0.1		1997	Template:Nature on the map
Woolhayes Farm	Green tickY		13.2	32.5		1992	Template:Nature on the map
Wurt Pit and Devil's Punchbowl		Green tickY	0.2	0.5		1987	Template:Nature on the 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.

^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.

^E The Severn Estuary SSSI overlaps with the following SSSIs:

• Avon: Spring Cove Cliffs, Middle Hope, Portishead Pier to Black Nore and Aust Cliff.
• Gloucestershire: Purton Passage
• South Glamorgan: Penarth Coast

^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.

^G Size smaller than can be shown with one decimal place. Actual size: 0.04 ha. (0.1 ac.).

^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.