Districts:
South Oxfordshire Parishes
Little Wittenham
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
Rolling Meadowlands
Site Code: 59R01
Area: 68.7ha
Little Wittenham SSSI
Little Wittenham SSSI is large part of the Little Wittenham Nature Reserve including Little Wittenham Wood, Castle Hill and a grassland bank next to the Thames. The site is notified because it has the largest known population of great crested newts. This species is a national nature conservation priority and is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
The newts breed in ponds in the woodland along with frogs, toads and other species of newt. Later in the year they move out into the surrounding habitats. The ponds, streams and river edge support good populations of dragonflies and damselflies and a number of rare insects have been found in association with wet flushes where water seeps out the ground. Near the River Thames there is a population of the rare Lodden lily.