Districts:
Cherwell Parishes
Wardington
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 (owls@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
Clay Vale
Site Code: 44X01
Area: 6ha
This is a section of disused railway has large areas of scrub habitat. Scrub is an uncommon habitat throughout much of Oxfordshire and provides important habitat for birds. The Cherwell Biodiversity Action Plan recognises the importance of scrub as there are especially few areas of scrub in the District. Without management scrub develops into woodland as trees establish which is the case on parts of this site. There are also areas of rough grassland with colourful wildflowers such as oxeye daisy, knapweed and lady’s bedstraw.
Upstanding Village Farmlands
Site Code: 54C01
Area: 5.9 ha
This site is a cutting on a disused railway. It supports important remnants of habitats that were once much more widespread in the area. These are remnants of heathland, various types of grassland and marshy areas which are all national priorities for nature conservation.
Heathland is very rare in Oxfordshire. This is one of the few very few sites where anything like heathland can be found. There are patches of heather on the banks of the cutting amongst acidic grassland which supports wildflowers such as sheep’s sorrel and tormentil and some gorse bushes. The other grassland is more neutral in character but quite variable with some more acidic areas and other which are more calcareous. Wildflowers found here include harebell, cowslip, common centaury, lady’s bedstraw and oxeye daisy.
Water seeps out the cutting in places forming marshy areas known as flushes. Here small sedges and rushes are abundant and wetland wildflowers are found. Common spotted orchid is found in one such area. The shady damp conditions of a bridge at the eastern end of the cutting provide a good habitat for a range of ferns.