Districts:

West Oxfordshire Parishes

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Districts - Parishes

Cherwell

South Oxfordshire

Vale of White Horse

West Oxfordshire

Districts - Landscape Types

Heythrop

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 Pasture Valleys and Slopes

Site Code: 32N01

Area: 11.9ha

This site is an area of mixed woodland. Much of the wood is long established ash woodland with oak and birch and a variety of other trees and shrubs. Such mixed broadleaved woodland is a national nature conservation priority. There are also areas of mixed plantation.

The woodland has a good variety of birds. Great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, sparrowhawk and buzzard nest here. Woodland wildflowers present include early purple orchid, common spotted orchid, twayblade, which is a green flowered orchid, and wild strawberry.

Site Code: 32N02

Area: 6.4ha

This site is a south facing slope with acidic sandy soils. Part of the site has much bracken, which is typical for such soils, along with many bluebells. This area also has remnants of acid grassland where the uncommon field mouse-ear is found. Acid grassland is very rare in Oxfordshire and is a national priority for nature conservation.

Other parts of the site have more neutral grassland with many wildflowers including early purple orchid, pignut and dropwort. This type of grassland is also a national nature conservation priority. There are also patches of scrub including areas of gorse and a wet area along a stream where wetland wildflowers can be seen. The site supports a good variety of birds, including woodpeckers, and also butterflies.