Kingscote and Horsley Woods

51°40′22″N 2°14′42″W / 51.672865°N 2.245065°W / 51.672865; -2.245065InterestBiologicalArea43.79 hectareNotification1966Natural England website

Kingscote and Horsley Woods (grid reference ST831971) is a 43.79-hectare (108.2-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1966.^[1]^[2]^[3] The site (Kingscote Woods Complex, including Conygre Wood, Sandgrove Wood and Fishponds Wood) is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 (on line) as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).^[4]

Location

The woods are in the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and there are two units of assessment. There are four separately named woods in the citation being Kingscote, Horsley, Sandgrove and Fishponds.^[1]

Woodland type

The site is an example of ancient Beech woodland, which is typical of the Jurassic limestone of the west Cotswolds. Kingscote, Horsley and Sandgrove woods are similar and includes some Ash and Oak. The woodland understorey is Hazel and Hawthorn. These are Bluebell woods with Wood Garlic, Wood Anemone and Dog's Mercury.^[1]

Fishponds Wood, as its names implies, includes a pond area, and is a regenerated woodland, having been previously felled. Ground flora includes Small Teasel.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Natural England SSSI information on the citation
^ Cotswold District Local Plan, Appendix 1, Sites of Special Scientific Interest Archived 26 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^ Stroud District Local Plan, adopted November 2005, Appendix 6 ‘Sites of Nature Conservation Interest’ Archived 6 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^ Cotswold District Local Plan, Appendix 2, Key Wildlife Sites Archived 13 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine