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Vale of White Horse Parishes

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Cherwell

South Oxfordshire

Vale of White Horse

West Oxfordshire

Districts - Landscape Types

Frilford

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.

Frilford 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

Wooded Estatelands

Site Code: 49P03

Area: 110.2ha

Frilford Heath Ponds and Fens SSSI

This site includes a number of areas around the Frilford area including the golf course, an old sand pit and a number of ponds. The site is unique in Southern England and has an exceptionally rich flora and fauna.

The largest area of habitat is the acid grassland which is found mainly on the golf course. This has similarities to the Brecklands of Norfolk and supports many wildflowers found nowhere else in Oxfordshire. Heathland was once found in these areas. There are also areas of scrub, which includes gorse, bracken and oak woodland. There are areas of fen habitat on the golf course and in land to the east of the golf course. These are rich in fen wildflowers including a variety of marsh orchids. These habitats are a national priority for nature conservation.

Many rare and uncommon insects have been recorded at the site. As with the acid grassland elsewhere many are found in the Brecklands and some coastal areas. The old sand pit is particularly important for solitary bees and wasps and the sandy quarry faces are particularly important for some of these species.