Districts:

Vale of White Horse Parishes

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Districts - Parishes

Cherwell

South Oxfordshire

Vale of White Horse

West Oxfordshire

Districts - Landscape Types

North Hinksey

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

Wooded Estatelands

Site Code: 40X01

Area: 17.2ha

This is one of a series of valleys cutting into the hills west of Oxford. It is important because of the extensive area of tall fen habitat including beds of common reed. Fen habitat is rare and is a national priority for nature conservation. The valley also contains areas of woodland, scrub, limestone grassland and a pond created along a stream.

Birds found in the valley include linnet and bullfinch which are both national nature conservation priorities. Sedge warbler, reed warbler and the shy and rarely seen water rail have been recorded in the fen. In the small areas of limestone grassland wildflowers such as cowslip, common centaury and the uncommon wild liquorice can be seen. A nationally scare bush cricket has also been seen in the valley.