List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater London

Canal boats on Walthamstow Marshes, one of the SSSIs listed in Greater London.

This is a list of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Greater London, which is part of south east England. In geographic terms, the area is split by the River Thames. The London region has a population of 7,512,400 within an area of 1,579km², making it the second-largest populated region in the United Kingdom. However, even though it is one of the largest urban conglomerations in Europe, almost two-thirds of London is made up of greenspace and wetlands, consisting primarily of extensive areas of green belt, large parks and the Thames basin. As of 2007, there are 36 sites designated within this Area of Search, 19 of which have been designated for their biological interest, 10 for their geological interest, and 7 for both biological and geological interest.

In England, the body responsible for designating SSSIs is Natural England, which chooses sites because of their Fauna, flora, geological or physiographical features. 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. 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 Sites of Special Scientific Interest by Area of Search.

Sites

Site name	Reason for Designation		Area		Grid reference	Year in which notified	Map	Location
	Biological Interest	Geological Interest	Hectares	Acres
Abbey Wood		Y	6.3	15.7	TQ481786	1975	[1]	Abbey Wood
Barn Elms Wetland Centre	Y		29.9	73.8	TQ228770	2002	[2]	Barnes
Bentley Priory	Y	Y	55.1	136.2	TQ156297	1990	[3]	Stanmore
Brent Reservoir	Y		68.6	169.6	TQ217873	1985	[4]	West Hendon
Chingford Reservoirs	Y		316.3	781.7	TQ371953	1986	[5]	Chingford
Crofton Woods	Y		76.6	198.8	TQ437665	1989	[6]	Crofton
Croham Hurst	Y	Y	33.6	83.0	TQ338632	1984	[7]	South Croydon
Denham Lock Wood	Y		6.3	15.5	TQ05863	1986	[8]	Denham
Downe Bank and High Elms	Y		86.8	214.6	TQ438610 & TQ446625	1981	[9]	Downe
Elmstead Pit		Y	<0.1	0.13	TQ42327066	1985	[10]	Elmstead
Epping Forest	Y		1,728.0	4,270.0	TL475035 – TQ405865	1990	[11]	Epping Forest
Farthing Downs and Happy Valley	Y	Y	120.5	297.8	TQ303572	1987	[12]	Coulsdon
Frays Farm Meadows	Y		28.2	69.8	TQ057861	1984	[13]	Denham
Gilbert's Pit		Y	5.2	12.8	TQ418786	1985	[14]	Charlton
Hainault Forest	Y		136.0	336.0	TQ477938	1986	[15]	Hainault
Hampstead Heath Woods	Y	Y	16.6	41.1	TQ270875 & TQ271870	1990	[16]	Hampstead
Harefield Pit		Y	1.8	4.5	TQ049898	1990	[17]	Harefield
Harrow Weald		Y	3.7	9.1	TQ147929	1987	[18]	Harrow Weald
Hornchurch Cutting		Y	0.8	2.0	TQ547874	1988	[19]	Hornchurch
Ingrebourne Marshes	Y		74.8	184.8	TQ532835	1988	[20]	Hornchurch
Inner Thames Marshes	Y		479.3	1,184.4	TQ531800	1986	[21]	Rainham
Kempton Park Reservoirs	Y		25.6	63.3	TQ118707	1999	[22]	Kempton Park
Keston And Hayes Commons	Y		49.7	122.8	TQ417643	1987	[23]	Keston
Mid Colne Valley	Y		132.0	326.1	TQ043896	1985	[24]	Harefield
Old Park Wood	Y		16.7	41.3	TQ046913	1984	[25]	Harefield
Oxleas Woodland	Y		72.7	179.7	TQ442760	1984	[26]	Shooter's Hill
Richmond Park	Y		856.0	2,115.1	TQ200730 (centre approx.)	1992	[27]	Richmond
Riddlesdown	Y	Y	32.0	79.1	TQ330600	1988	[28]	Riddlesdown
Ruislip Woods	Y		305.4	754.6	TQ081892	1990	[29]	Ruislip
Ruxley Gravel Pits		Y	18.7	46.2	TQ474700	1985	[30]	Ruxley
Saltbox Hill	Y		22.2	54.8	TQ402604 & TQ408607	1985	[31]	Biggin Hill
Syon Park	Y		21.5	53.2	TQ176766	1984	[32]	Brentford
Walthamstow Marshes	Y		36.7	90.7	TQ352875	1985	[33]	Walthamstow
Walthamstow Reservoirs	Y		178.3	440.6	TQ351892	1986	[34]	Walthamstow
Wansunt Pit		Y	1.9	4.7	TQ514736 & TQ515738	1990	[35]	Dartford
Wimbledon Common	Y		346.5	856.2	TQ227720	1986	[36]	Wimbledon

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.

^C Those SSSIs with more than one OS grid reference are composed of multiple sections, separated by non-SSSI land.

^D This list uses the date notified under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

^E Link to maps using the Nature on the Map service provided by Natural England.

External links

• Mayor of London, London’s foundations: protecting the geodiversity of the capital, March 2009 Geological SSSIs in Greater London