Districts:
South Oxfordshire Parishes
Marsh Baldon
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
Wooded Estatelands
Site Code: 59P03
Area: 29.7ha
Nuneham Courtney Arboretum
The arboretum at Nuneham Courtney supports a variety of habitats that are a national priority for nature conservation. In places in the main area of the arboretum there are patches of acid grassland on the acidic sandy soils. At the edge of the arboretum there are areas of old long established broadleaved woodland. Elsewhere there are extensive areas of somewhat acidic neutral grassland.
In the acid grassland tormentil and heath bedstraw can be seen. In the neutral grassland there are common spotted orchids, ragged robin in wet areas and bird’s-foot trefoil. The old woodland has a canopy of oak and ash and wildflowers such as bluebell, primrose and pignut. There are also areas of broadleaved and conifer plantation. There is also a pond which many aquatic plants have been planted where dragonflies and damselflies can be seen in good numbers.