Kennet Valley Alderwoods
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 | |
| Location | Berkshire |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SU 407 674[1] |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 57.3 hectares (142 acres)[1] |
| Notification | 1997[1] |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Kennet Valley Alderwoods is a 57.3-hectare (142-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Newbury in Berkshire.[1][2] It is a Special Area of Conservation[3]
Located at grid reference SU400675 and at grid reference SU444669, these woodlands are the largest remaining fragments of damp, ash-alder woodland in the Kennet floodplain. The SSSI includes two woods, the Wilderness and part of Ryott's Plantation, which are important because they support a very great diversity of plants associated with this woodland type, dominated by Alder (Alnus glutinosa), though Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is abundant in places and there is occasional Oak (Quercus robur) and Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra). In addition to the wide range of higher plants the woods support a diverse bryophyte flora including the uncommon epiphytes Radula complanata, Zygodon viridissimus and Orthotrichum affine.[4]
The site is private land with no public access.
References
- ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: Kennet Valley Alderwoods". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- ^ "Map of Kennet Valley Alderwoods". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Kennet Valley Alderwoods". Special Areas of Conservation. Natural England. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
- ^ "Kennet Valley Alderwoods" (PDF). English Nature. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
51°24′14″N 1°24′58″W / 51.404°N 1.416°W
