List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire



This is a list of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Gloucestershire. Natural England, the designating body for SSSIs in England, uses the 1974-1996 county system, and this list follows the same approach. Some sites you may expect to find here could therefore be in the Avon list. It may also be that a site may on the borders of more than one county. It may also be on the country borders.

Natural England chooses a site because of its fauna, flora, geological or physiographical features. As of 2012, there are 121 sites designated in this Area of Search, of which 69 have been designated due to their biological interest, 32 due to their geological interest, and 20 for both.

Gloucestershire has 3 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty being the Cotswolds, Malvern Hills, and the Wye Valley (the latter is also partly in Wales). These areas may include several SSSIs, or be named an SSSI as is the case for the Malvern Hills.

Gloucestershire has 2 designated Ramsar sites being the Severn Estuary and Walmore Common both SSSIs. These two sites are also designated as Special Protection Areas (SPA) under the EC Directive on the conservation of Wild Birds.

Gloucestershire has 7 recognised Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), several of which bring together more than one SSSI. These are: Cotswold Beechwoods; Dixton Wood; River Wye/ Afon Gwy; Rodborough Common; Severn Estuary; Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Bat Sites/ Safleoedd Ystlumod Dyffryn Gwy a Fforest y Ddena; Wye Valley Woodlands/ Coetiroedd Dyffryn Gwy.

Highbury Wood SSSI and the Cotswold Commons and Beechwoods SSSI are national nature reserves (NNR). Lady Park Wood (part of the wood is in Gloucestershire and part in Monmouthshire) is a national nature reserve.

A significant number of the SSSIs are recognised by the relevant local authorities as Key Wildlife Sites and Regionally Important Geological/Geomorphological Sites. There are c. 800 recognised Key Wildlife Sites in Gloucestershire.

For other counties, see List of SSSIs by Area of Search.