Districts:
West Oxfordshire Parishes
Kiddington with Asterleigh
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: 32V01
Area: 19.2ha
Out Wood
Out Wood is a remnant of the Royal Forest of Wychwood. It is ancient woodland and has been continuously wooded for at least 400 years. The canopy is mainly oak with much hazel coppice* in the shrub layer though there is much variation with four rare woodland types identified. Broadleaved woodland such as this is a national nature conservation priority. There are small numbers of wild service trees which are an uncommon sight.
The ground flora has much dog’s mercury and has a good variety of other woodland wildflowers including meadow saffron, greater butterfly orchid, wild columbine and bird’s-nest orchid. It is one of the few Oxfordshire locations for spiked star-of-Bethlehem.
*Coppicing is a traditional form of management where small multi-stemmed trees and shrubs are cut down to the ground at regular intervals producing a harvest of small branches.