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Vale of White Horse Parishes

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Cherwell

South Oxfordshire

Vale of White Horse

West Oxfordshire

Districts - Landscape Types

Letcombe Bassett

This map highlights the landscape types within the parish you selected, and its associated local character areas. You can click on any area of the map for a description of its landscape character and biodiversity. Please note that local character areas can cover large areas of the countryside, and may include several parishes, so the description may not be specific to this parish. If there are any wildlife habitats within the parish their descriptions can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this page.

The following wildlife habitats fall within this parish. They are listed according to their associated landscape type or local character area.

If you want more information about any of the sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) listed below, take a look at English Nature's Nature on the Map website. It may also be possible to find out a bit more about the unnamed wildlife habitats in the parish by contacting the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (gavin.bird@oxfordshire.gov.uk) and quoting the site code next to the habitat description.

The majority of these wildlife habitats are on private land and access to them is not possible without permission of the landowner, unless there is a statutory right of way. However, many wildlife habitats in the county are open to the public. More information on these can be obtained from the Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum.

Wildlife Habitats

Rolling Farmland

Site Code: 38S02

Area: 7.4ha

This site is an area of old cressbeds along the Letcombe Brook where watercress was grown in the past. This is the part of the site that lies between the two villages. The sites has shallow pools and springs with marshy vegetation and a bank of dry grassland and scrub. There are many trees throughout the site.

Wildflowers found here include water mint, watercress and fool’s watercress in the wet areas, cowslip in the grassland and woodland species such as bluebell and common dog violet. The area provides good habitat for birds. Grey wagtail nest and snipe have been seen in the past.