List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Kent

The following is a list of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Kent, England, United Kingdom. In England the body responsible for designating SSSIs is Natural England, which chooses a site because of its fauna, flora, geological or physiographical features.[1] As of 2008, there are 98 sites designated in this Area of Search, of which 67 have been designated due to their biological interest, 21 due to their geological interest and 10 for both.[2]

Natural England took over the role of designating and managing SSSIs from English Nature in October 2006 when it was formed from the amalgamation of English Nature, parts of the Countryside Agency and the Rural Development Service. Natural England, like its predecessor, uses the 1974–1996 county system[3] and as such the same approach is followed here, rather than adopting the current local government or ceremonial county boundaries. The data in the table is taken from English Nature's website in the form of citation sheets for each SSSI.

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

Sites

A–D

Site name Reason for Designation Area[A] Grid reference[B] Year in which notified Map[C] Citation[D]
Biological Interest Geological Interest Hectares Acres
Alex Farm Pastures Y   4.5 11.2 TQ968369 1994 [1] [2]
Alkham, Lydden and Swingfield Woods Y   226.1 558.7 TR260440 1951 [3] [4]
Allington Quarry   Y 0.6 1.5 TQ743576 1993 [5] [6]
Aylesford Pit   Y 1.9 4.6 TQ730594 1990 [7] [8]
Baker's Hole   Y 6.5 16.1 TQ612741 1951 [9] [10]
Bourne Alder Carr Y   15.3 37.8 TQ607550 1968 [11] [12]
Brookland Wood Y   10.7 26.4 TQ661388 1981 [13] [14]
Charing Beech Hangers Y   53.1 131.2 TQ979484 1968 [15] [16]
Chattenden Woods Y   133.4 329.5 TQ751737 1968 [17] [18]
Chequer's Wood and Old Park Y Y 106.9 264.1 TR174587 1968 [19] [20]
Church Woods, Blean Y   297.1 733.8 TR109603 1951 [21] [22]
Cobham Woods Y   235.2 581.2 TQ699686 1968 [23] [24]
Combwell Wood Y   110.8 173.7 TQ706342 1968 [25] [26]
Cowden Meadow Y   1.2 2.9 TQ481414 1981 [27] [28]
Cowden Pound Pastures Y   5.8 14.3 TQ459433 1994 [29] [30]
Dalham Farm   Y 9.0 22.2 TQ778753 1981 [31] [32]
Darenth Wood Y   121.8 300.1 TQ575722 1968 [33] [34]
Dover to Kingsdown Cliffs Y Y 299.9 741.1 TR332419 1951 [35] [36]
Down Bank Y   6.1 14.9 TR083522 1990 [37] [38]
Dryhill   Y 11.5 28.4 TQ499552 1996 [39] [40]
Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay Y Y 9,090.0 22,461.8 TR069201 2006 [41] [42]

E–H

Site name Reason for Designation Area[A] Grid reference[B] Year in which notified Map[C] Citation[D]
Biological Interest Geological Interest Hectares Acres
East Blean Woods Y   156.8 387.3 TR189640 1981 [43] [44]
Ellenden Wood Y   90.8 224.4 TR101624 1972 [45] [46]
Farningham Wood Y   72.8 179.8 TQ540683 1951 [47] [48]
Folkestone to Etchinghill Escarpment Y Y 269.5 666.2 TR171394 1951 [49] [50]
Folkestone Warren Y Y 299.4 739.8 TR276386 1951 [51] [52]
Gibbin's Brook Y   16.6 41.0 TR117385 1981 [53] [54]
Great Crabbles Wood Y   32.9 81.4 TQ703703 1968 [55] [56]
Great Shuttlesfield Down Y   21.8 53.8 TR176410 1955 [57] [58]
Greatness Brickworks   Y 7.5 18.5 TQ535578 1968 [59] [60]
Halling to Trottiscliffe Escarpment Y   648.4 1,602.2 TQ616596 1951 [61] [62]
Ham Street Woods Y   172.2 425.5 TQ996352 1951 [63] [64]
Hart Hill   Y 1.5 3.6 TQ943506 1992 [65] [66]
Hatch Park Y   71.8 177.4 TR063410 1968 [67] [68]
High Rocks   Y 3.2 7.9 TQ560382 1953 [69] [70]
Hoad's Wood Y   78.2 193.3 TQ953426 1951 [71] [72]
Holborough to Burham Marshes Y   148.5 366.9 TQ712618 1951 [73] [74]
Hollingbourne Downs Y   60.9 150.5 TQ841564 1968 [75] [76]
Hothfield Common Y   56.4 139.3 TQ969458 1951 [77] [78]
Houlder and Monarch Hill Pits, Upper Halling   Y 0.6 1.5 TQ687635 1990 [79] [80]
Hubbard's Hill   Y 66.4 161.0 TQ535520 1996 [81] [82]

I–O

Site name Reason for Designation Area[A] Grid reference[B] Year in which notified Map[C] Citation[D]
Biological Interest Geological Interest Hectares Acres
Ileden and Oxenden Woods Y   87.9 217.2 TR219525 1968 [83] [84]
Knole Park Y   376.2 929.2 TQ542538 1968 [85] [86]
Larkey Valley Wood Y   42.7 105.6 TR125553 1951 [87] [88]
Lenham Quarry   Y 4.4 10.9 TQ915525 1981 [89] [90]
Lullingstone Park Y   62.0 153.0 TQ513641 1981 [91] [92]
Lydden and Temple Ewell Downs Y   69.3 171.2 TR277453 1951 [93] [94]
Lympne Escarpment Y   143.1 353.6 TR132345 1951 [95] [96]
Lynsore Bottom Y   70.0 172.9 TR160480 1951 [97] [98]
Magpie Bottom Y   113.9 281.4 TQ544610 1951 [99] [100]
Marden Meadows Y   3.5 8.8 TQ762445 1981 [101] [102]
Medway Estuary and Marshes Y   6,840.1 16,895.1 TQ850720 1968 [103] [104]
Northward Hill Y   52.5 129.7 TQ781763 1951 [105] [106]
Oaken Wood   Y 17.7 43.7 TQ702549 1985 [107] [108]
Oldbury and Seal Chart Y   173.9 429.7 TQ571558 1951 [109] [110]
One Tree Hill and Bitchet Common Y   76.1 188.1 TQ570535 1951 [111] [112]
Orlestone Forest Y   337.7 834.4 TQ982350 1981 [113] [114]
Otford to Shoreham Downs Y   147.3 363.7 TQ536596 1951 [115] [116]
Otterpool Quarry   Y 10.9 26.9 TR113364 1984 [117] [118]

P–S

Site name Reason for Designation Area[A] Grid reference[B] Year in which notified Map[C] Citation[D]
Biological Interest Geological Interest Hectares Acres
Park Wood, Chilham Y   31.2 77.1 TR043526 1981 [119] [120]
Parkgate Down Y   7.0 17.3 TR168460 1968 [121] [122]
Parsonage Wood Y   9.7 24.0 TQ797329 1981 [123] [124]
Pembury Cutting and Pit   Y 1.6 3.9 TQ615414 1968 [125] [126]
Peter's Pit Y   24.0 59.3 TQ717629 1986 [127] [128]
Polebrook Farm Y   12.7 31.4 TQ506477 1981 [129] [130]
Preston Marshes Y   42.9 105.9 TR234605 1968 [131] [132]
Purple Hill Y   15.1 37.3 TQ811622 1951 [133] [134]
Queendown Warren Y   22.2 54.8 TQ828629 1951 [135] [136]
River Beult Y   29.1 71.8 TQ865425 1994 [137] [138]
Robins Wood Y   53.9 133.2 TQ768338 1968 [139] [140]
Rusthall Common   Y 2.6 6.4 TQ568395 1992 [141] [142]
Sandwich Bay to Hacklinge Marshes Y   1,756.5 4,338.6 TR353585 1951 [143] [144]
Scord's Wood and Brockhoult Mount Y   245.0 605.4 TQ482520 1963 [145] [146]
Scotney Castle Y   111.9 276.5 TQ690350 1981 [147] [148]
Seabrook Stream Y   23.8 58.8 TR178367 1987 [149] [150]
Sevenoaks Gravel Pits Y   71.0 175.3 TQ522569 1968 [151] [152]
Sheppey Cliffs and Foreshore Y Y 301.5 745.0 TR000731 1984 [153] [154]
Shorne and Ashenbank Woods Y   184.6 456.1 TQ682700 1968 [155] [156]
Sissinghurst Park Wood Y   32.9 81.3 TQ803389 1951 [157] [158]
South Thames Estuary and Marshes Y   5,449.1 13,459.4 TQ770785 1951 [159] [160]
Southborough Pit   Y 1.1 2.7 TQ592416 1993 [161] [162]
Spot Lane Quarry   Y 0.9 2.2 TQ793542 1992 [163] [164]
Stodmarsh Y   604.4 1493.4 TR222618 1951 [165] [166]
Sturry Pit   Y 0.7 1.6 TR174606 1990 [167] [168]
Swanscombe Skull Site   Y 3.9 9.6 TQ597743 1951 [169] [170]

T–Z

Site name Reason for Designation Area[A] Grid reference[B] Year in which notified Map[C] Citation[D]
Biological Interest Geological Interest Hectares Acres
Tankerton Slopes Y   2.3 5.6 TR121673 1986 [171] [172]
Thanet Coast Y Y 818.7 2,023.0 TR132675 1981 [173] [174]
The Swale Y   6,568.5 16,230.6 TR000670 1968 [175] [176]
Tower Hill to Cockham Wood Y Y 47.9 118.4 TQ765714 1968 [177] [178]
Trottiscliffe Meadows Y   5.0 12.4 TQ643595 1990 [179] [180]
Wansunt Pit   Y 1.9 4.7 TQ514736 1951 [181] [182]
Wateringbury   Y 0.2 0.5 TQ688534 1996 [183] [184]
West Blean and Thornden Woods Y   762.5 1,884.2 TR154636 1989 [185] [186]
Westerham Mines Y   26.2 64.7 TQ455528 1981 [187] [188]
Westerham Wood Y   44.0 108.7 TQ439550 1968 [189] [190]
Wouldham to Detling Escarpment Y Y 296.3 732.2 TQ753609 1951 [191] [192]
Wye and Crundale Downs Y Y 348.5 861.0 TR080470 1951 [193] [194]
Yockletts Bank Y   25.3 62.9 TR126477 1951 [195] [196]

Notes

A Data rounded to one decimal place.
B Grid reference is based on the British national grid reference system, also known as OSGB36, and is the system used by the Ordnance Survey.[4]
C Link to maps using the Nature on the Map service provided by English Nature.
D English Nature citation sheets for each SSSI. Retrieved on 13 March 2008.

References