Districts:
West Oxfordshire Parishes
Worton
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
Farmland Plateau
Site Code: 42I01
Area: 34.7ha
This site is an extensive area of ancient woodland. This means the site has been continuously wooded since at least 1600AD. Most of the eastern section of the wood, and some parts west of the road, have the typical structure of old woodland with a canopy of ash trees, hazel and field maple coppice and bluebells on the ground. Such woodland is a national priority for nature conservation. Large parts of the western section have been replanted with conifers or broadleaves such as beech, Norway maple and horse chestnut.
There is a rich variety of woodland wildflowers in the wood including greater butterfly and bird’s-nest orchids and broad-leaved helleborine. There is also a large area of tall wetland vegetation along the Cockley Brook which forms the southern boundary of the wood. A number of rare and uncommon insects have been recorded in the wood including the purple hairstreak and white admiral butterflies.
Pasture Hills
Site Code: 43F06
Area: 9.7ha
This site is an area of long established broadleaved woodland. The site is important because it provides valuable habitat for woodland birds.