Berner's Heath
Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
![]() | |
Location | Suffolk |
---|---|
Grid reference | TL 797 763[1] |
Interest | Biological |
Area | 236.9 hectares[1] |
Notification | 1983[1] |
Location map | Magic Map |
Berner's Heath is a 236.9-hectare (585-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-east of Icklingham in Suffolk.[1][2] It is a Nature Conservation Review site,[3] a Special Area of Conservation,[4][5] and a Special Protection Area[6][7]
War time use
The site was used as a high altitude bombing range from 1936 until after World War II.[8][9][10]
Plant and wildlife
The heath is the largest remaining area of heather dominated heath in the Brecks. It contains blocks of heather of different ages as a result of rotational heather burning conducted as a management strategy.[11] Heather dominates the heath, achieving almost 100% coverage with blocks divided by rides.[12] This allows a variety of different ground cover species to develop in different areas of the heath. In the areas of younger heather this includes species such as sheep’s sorrel Rumex acetosella and mosses such as Polytrichum juniperinum, although in areas where heather is slightly older and growing quickly ground cover is restricted.[11] Older, established blocks of heather have greater biodiversity and include lichens as well as flowering plant species isuch as heath bedstraw Galium saxatile, lady’s bedstraw Galium verum, common speedwell Veronica officinalis and sheep’s fescue Festuca ovina. These areas also support a wide range of insect populations.[11]
At the edges of the site, especially in the south, acidic grasslands gradually merge with the heather with a range of grass and lichen species present, dominated by sheep's fescue grass. There are some areas of chalk soils as well as an area of self-set Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) along the southern edge of the site.[11]
Access
It is open access land and can usually be accessed between November and February to allow for ground nesting bird species to be undisturbed during the nesting season.[13]
References
- ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: Berner's Heath". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 2017-05-22.
- ^ "Map of Berner's Heath". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 2017-05-22.
- ^ Ratcliffe, Derek, ed. (1977). A Nature Conservation Review. Vol. 2. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 134–135. ISBN 0521 21403 3.
- ^ "Breckland". Special Areas of Conservation. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Breckland". Special Area of Conservation. Natural England. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Breckland". Special Protection Area. Natural England. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ^ "Special Protection Areas under the EC Birds Directive. Breckland" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-15. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
- ^ Berner's Heath bombing range, Suffolk Archived 2015-09-19 at the Wayback Machine, Airfield Information Exchange, 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2013-01-27.
- ^ Panoramic view of former bombing range Archived 2012-11-15 at the Wayback Machine, Bury Free Press, 2012-11-11. Retrieved 2013-01-27.
- ^ RANGES (Code B, 62): Berners Heath Bombing Range: extension of live bombing facilities, AIR 2/4507, National Archives. Retrieved 2013-01-27.
- ^ a b c d "Berner's Heath citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-04. Retrieved 2017-05-22.
- ^ Breckland, Natural England. Retrieved 2013-01-27.
- ^ The King's Forest Rides[permanent dead link], Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 2013-01-27.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
52°22′N 0°38′E / 52.36°N 0.64°E / 52.36; 0.64
- v
- t
- e
- Abbey Wood, Flixton
- Alde–Ore Estuary
- Arger Fen
- Bangrove Wood, Ixworth
- Barking Woods
- Barnby Broad and Marshes
- Barnham Heath
- Berner's Heath
- Bixley Heath
- Black Ditches, Cavenham
- Blaxhall Heath
- Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fens
- Bradfield Woods
- Breckland Farmland
- Breckland Forest
- Brent Eleigh Woods
- Bugg's Hole Fen, Thelnetham
- Burgate Wood
- Cavendish Woods
- Cavenham–Icklingham Heaths
- Cherry Hill and The Gallops, Barton Mills
- Chippenhall Green
- Combs Wood
- Cornard Mere
- Crag Pit, Sutton
- Cransford Meadow
- Deadman's Grave, Icklingham
- Deben Estuary
- Dew's Ponds
- Edwardstone Woods
- Elmsett Park Wood
- Eriswell Low Warren
- Fakenham Wood and Sapiston Great Grove
- Fox Fritillary Meadow
- Foxhole Heath
- Freston and Cutler's Woods with Holbrook Park
- Frithy and Chadacre Woods
- The Gardens, Great Ashfield
- Gipping Great Wood
- Glemsford Pits
- The Glen Chalk Caves, Bury St Edmunds
- Gosbeck Wood
- Gromford Meadow
- Groton Wood
- Gypsy Camp Meadows, Thrandeston
- Hay Wood, Whepstead
- Horringer Court Caves
- High House Meadows, Monewden
- Hintlesham Woods
- Hopton Fen
- How Hill Track
- Iken Wood
- Ipswich Heaths
- Kentwell Woods
- Knettishall Heath
- Lackford Lakes
- Lakenheath Poor's Fen
- Lakenheath Warren
- Landguard Common
- Laurel Farm Meadow
- Leiston - Aldeburgh
- Lineage Wood & Railway Track, Long Melford
- Lingwood Meadows
- Little Blakenham Pit
- Little Heath, Barnham
- London Road Industrial Estate, Brandon
- Lordswell Field
- Maidscross Hill
- Major Farm Meadow
- Metfield Meadow
- Mickfield Meadow
- Middle Wood, Offton
- Milden Thicks
- Minsmere–Walberswick Heaths and Marshes
- Moat Farm Meadows
- Monewden Meadows
- Nacton Meadows
- Newbourne Springs
- Newmarket Heath
- Norton Wood
- Orwell Estuary
- Over and Lawn Woods
- Pakefield to Easton Bavents
- Pakenham Meadows
- Pashford Poor's Fen, Lakenheath
- Potton Hall Fields, Westleton
- RAF Lakenheath
- Redgrave and Lopham Fens
- Rex Graham Reserve
- Riverside House Meadow
- Sandlings Forest
- Sinks Valley, Kesgrave
- Sizewell Marshes
- Snape Warren
- Sotterley Park
- Sprat's Water and Marshes, Carlton Colville
- Stallode Wash, Lakenheath
- Stanton Woods
- Staverton Park and The Thicks, Wantisden
- Stour Estuary
- Sutton and Hollesley Heaths
- Thetford Heaths
- Thorpe Morieux Woods
- Titsal Wood, Shadingfield
- Trundley and Wadgell's Wood, Great Thurlow
- Tunstall Common
- Wangford Warren and Carr
- Weather and Horn Heaths, Eriswell
- West Stow Heath
- Westhall Wood and Meadow
- Weston Fen
- Wilde Street Meadow
- Wortham Ling
- Alde-Ore Estuary
- Aldeburgh Brick Pit
- Aldeburgh Hall Pit
- Bawdsey Cliff
- Bobbitshole, Belstead
- Breckland Forest
- Buckanay Farm Pit, Alderton
- Chillesford Church Pit
- Corton Cliffs
- Crag Farm Pit, Sudbourne
- Crag Pit, Aldeburgh
- Creeting St Mary Pits
- Ferry Cliff, Sutton
- Flixton Quarry
- Gedgrave Hall Pit
- Great Blakenham Pit
- Hascot Hill Pit
- Holton Pit
- Hoxne Brick Pit
- Neutral Farm Pit, Butley
- Pakefield to Easton Bavents
- Ramsholt Cliff
- Red House Farm Pit
- Red Lodge Heath
- Richmond Farm Pit, Gedgrave
- Rockhall Wood Pit, Sutton
- Round Hill Pit, Aldeburgh
- Sandy Lane Pit, Barham
- Stoke Tunnel Cutting, Ipswich
- Stour Estuary
- Sudbourne Park Pit
- Valley Farm Pit, Sudbourne
- Waldringfield Pit