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South Oxfordshire Parishes

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Cherwell

South Oxfordshire

Vale of White Horse

West Oxfordshire

Districts - Landscape Types

Ewelme

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.

Ewelme 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: 69F03

Area: 2.6ha

Ewelme Cress Beds

The cress beds at Ewelme were left unmanaged for many years though the site remained a valuable place for birds. In recent years restoration work has been carried and as well as the cress beds the site supports wetland and wet meadow habitat where management aims to increase the richness of species. The cress beds lie along the Ewelme Brook. This is a chalk stream that rises in the Chilterns. It is one of only two chalk streams in Oxfordshire. Chalk streams are a national priority for nature conservation.

The site supports a great variety of birds including kingfishers, snipe and water rail which are all classed as birds of conservation concern. Water voles which are now rare due to the rapid decline in their UK population are found here. Water voles are a national priority for nature conservation.