List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest on the Isle of Wight

File:The Needles.jpg

The Needles, part of Headon Warren And West High Down SSSI

This is a list of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) on the Isle of Wight, England. The Isle of Wight is an island and county three miles off the south coast of England in the English Channel. Its geology is complex, with a chalk downland ridge running east to west through its centre and important fossil beds from the Lower Cretaceous to the Lower Tertiary around the coast. This geology gives rise to many distinct habitats, with strong maritime influences, including chalk grassland, neutral meadows, and broad-leaved woodland. The Isle of Wight has a population of 140,000, making it one of the country's smaller counties in terms of population.

In England, the body responsible for designating SSSIs is Natural England, which chooses a site because of its fauna, flora, 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. since 2008Template:Dated maintenance category (articles), there are 41 sites designated in this Area of Search; of these, 26 have been designated for their biological interest, 4 for their geological interest, and 11 for both.

The data in the table is taken from citation sheets for each SSSI, available at their website.

Sites

Site name	Reason for designation		Area[A]		Grid reference[B]	Year in which notified	Map[C]
	Biological interest	Geological interest	Hectares	Acres
Alverstone Marshes	Green tickY		83.8	207.0		1951	Template:Nature on the map
America Wood	Green tickY		21.4	52.9		1986	Template:Nature on the map
Arreton Down [D]	Green tickY		29.8	73.6		1979	Template:Nature on the map
Bembridge Down	Green tickY	Green tickY	56.3	139.0		1951	Template:Nature on the map
Bembridge School And Cliffs		Green tickY	12.6	31.1		1999	Template:Nature on the map
Bonchurch Landslips	Green tickY	Green tickY	28.2	69.7		1977	Template:Nature on the map
Bouldnor And Hamstead Cliffs	Green tickY	Green tickY	95.7	236.4		1951	Template:Nature on the map
Brading Marshes to St. Helen's Ledges	Green tickY	Green tickY	488.5	1,207.0		1951[E]	Template:Nature on the map
Briddlesford Copses	Green tickY		167.2	413.2		2003	Template:Nature on the map
Calbourne Down	Green tickY		15.4	38.1		1989	Template:Nature on the map
Colwell Bay		Green tickY	13.6	34.2		1959	Template:Nature on the map
Compton Chine to Steephill Cove	Green tickY	Green tickY	629.2	1,554.8		2003	Template:Nature on the map
Compton Down	Green tickY	Green tickY	196.3	484.9		1951	Template:Nature on the map
Cranmore	Green tickY		12.4	30.7		2002	Template:Nature on the map
Cridmore Bog	Green tickY		14.4	35.6		1985	Template:Nature on the map
Eaglehead and Bloodstone Copses	Green tickY		10.3	25.5		1987	Template:Nature on the map
Freshwater Marshes	Green tickY		23.3	57.6		1951	Template:Nature on the map
Garston's Down	Green tickY		20.3	50.2		1971	Template:Nature on the map
Greatwood And Cliff Copses	Green tickY		16.3	40.3	–	1986	Template:Nature on the map
Headon Warren And West High Down	Green tickY	Green tickY	276.3	682.6		1951	Template:Nature on the map
King's Quay Shore	Green tickY	Green tickY	97.2	240.1		1951	Template:Nature on the map
Lacey's Farm Quarry		Green tickY	0.1	0.3		1993	Template:Nature on the map
Lake Allotments	Green tickY		0.2	0.5		1988	Template:Nature on the map
Locks Farm Meadow	Green tickY		2.3	5.7		1988	Template:Nature on the map
Medina Estuary	Green tickY		100.5	248.3		1977	Template:Nature on the map
Mottistone Down	Green tickY		31.4	77.6		1971	Template:Nature on the map
Newtown Harbour[F]	Green tickY		619.3	1,530.3		1951	Template:Nature on the map
Northpark Copse	Green tickY		9.9	24.5		1986	Template:Nature on the map
Parkhurst Forest	Green tickY		183.5	453.3		1986	Template:Nature on the map
Priory Woods		Green tickY	2.9	7.3		1998	Template:Nature on the map
Prospect Quarry	Green tickY	Green tickY	4.3	10.6		1971	Template:Nature on the map
Rew Down	Green tickY		23.5	58.1		1977	Template:Nature on the map
Rowridge Valley	Green tickY		39.8	98.3		1951	Template:Nature on the map
Ryde Sands and Wootton Creek	Green tickY		424.4	1,048.7	–	1993	Template:Nature on the map
Shide Quarry	Green tickY		4.8	11.8		1971	Template:Nature on the map
St Lawrence Bank	Green tickY		0.5	1.2		1998	Template:Nature on the map
The Wilderness	Green tickY		12.6	31.1		1951	Template:Nature on the map
Thorness Bay[G]	Green tickY	Green tickY	86.2	213.0		1966	Template:Nature on the map
Ventnor Downs	Green tickY		162.6	401.8		1951	Template:Nature on the map
Whitecliff Bay And Bembridge Ledges	Green tickY	Green tickY	131.6	325.2		1955	Template:Nature on the map
Yar Estuary	Green tickY		132.4	327.2		1977	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 Arreton Down was originally notified as a geological SSSI, but was then renotified in 1987 for its biological interest only.

^E This site includes three former SSSIs known as St Helen’s Duver, Brading Marshes and St. Helen’s Ledges. They were notified in 1951, 1971 and 1977 respectively.

^F This also includes the former SSSI, Hart’s Farm Meadows which was designated in 1986.

^G This site was formerly known as Gurnard Ledge to Saltmead Ledge SSSI and was extended in 1987.