Districts:

South Oxfordshire Parishes

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Cherwell

South Oxfordshire

Vale of White Horse

West Oxfordshire

Districts - Landscape Types

Cholsey

This map highlights the landscape types within the parish you selected, and its associated local character areas. You can click on any area of the map for a description of its landscape character and biodiversity. Please note that local character areas can cover large areas of the countryside, and may include several parishes, so the description may not be specific to this parish. If there are any wildlife habitats within the parish their descriptions can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this page.

Cholsey Image Map

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

River Meadowlands

Site Code: 68D02

This site consists of a pond and an area of adjacent wet grassland which has areas of bare ground. The site is important because of the presence of the rare wildflower grass-poly which is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It grows in wet bare ground.

Rolling Farmland

Site Code: 58S01

Area: 2ha

This site consists of the southern and western slopes of a chalk hill where chalk grassland can be seen. Chalk grassland is now mainly restricted to steeper banks such as these and is a national priority for nature conservation.

The short turf, which is typical of chalk grassland, has a good variety of wildflowers including wild thyme, rock-rose cowslip and salad burnet. Butterflies seen here include common blue and marbled white.

Wooded Downland

Site Code: 58R06

Area: 13.1ha

This steep bank has areas of chalk grassland which is typically rich in small colourful wildflowers. Chalk grassland, which is a national priority for nature conservation, is now mainly restricted to the steeper banks such as this. The site also includes areas of scrub and planted woodland.

The richest areas of chalk grassland are found where the sward is short. Wildflowers found in these areas include wild thyme, eyebright, cowslip, rock-rose and salad burnet. The nationally scarce wild candytuft has been recorded here. A number of nationally rare and scare insects have also been recorded from this site including the silver-spotted skipper butterfly. Many other butterflies are present including marbled white, dark green fritillary and green hairstreak.