Sheepleas
Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
![]() Cowslip Meadow | |
Location | Surrey |
---|---|
Grid reference | TQ 089 516[1] |
Interest | Biological Geological |
Area | 99.9 hectares (247 acres)[1] |
Notification | 1986[1] |
Location map | Magic Map |
Sheepleas is a 99.9-hectare (247-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Guildford in Surrey.[1][2] It is a Geological Conservation Review site[3] and a Local Nature Reserve.[4][5] It is owned by Surrey County Council and managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust.[6]
History
The sheepleas was a long-standing area sheep grazing area[6] ('lēah' being an Old English term for pasture).[7] In 1915, it was included as one of 284 nature reserves on the Rothschild List.[8] Part of the sheepleas Surrey County Council bought in 1936 and a further area in the 1950s.[9]
Geography
This sloping site on the North Downs has woodland, scrub and botanically rich grassland. The diverse invertebrate fauna includes two nationally rare flies, Norellia spinipes and Microdon devius. A cutting in Mountain Wood exposes a unique gravel Pleistocene deposit which throws light on the Quaternary history of the Weald and the evolution of the London Basin.[10]
The site is open to the public.
References
- ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: Sheepleas". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- ^ "Map of Sheepleas". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- ^ "Mountain Wood (Quaternary of South-East England)". Geological Conservation Review. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Sheepleas". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ^ "Map of Sheepleas". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- ^ a b "Sheepleas". Surrey Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ^ "Definition of LEA". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "The Rothschild List: 1915-2015 A review 100 years on" (PDF). The Wildlife Trusts. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ^ "Sheepleas; Visitor Guide and Self-guided Trails" (PDF). data.wildlifetrusts.org. Surrey County Council.
- ^ "Sheepleas citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
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51°15′11″N 0°26′28″W / 51.253°N 0.441°W / 51.253; -0.441
- v
- t
- e
- Ash to Brookwood Heaths
- Banstead Downs
- Basingstoke Canal
- Blackheath
- Blindley Heath
- Bookham Commons
- Broadmoor to Bagshot Woods and Heaths
- Charleshill
- Charterhouse to Eashing
- Chiddingfold Forest
- Chipstead Downs
- Chobham Common
- Colony Bog and Bagshot Heath
- Colyers Hanger
- Combe Bottom
- Devil's Punch Bowl
- Dumsey Meadow
- Epsom and Ashtead Commons
- Esher Commons
- Glover's Wood
- Godstone Ponds
- Gong Hill
- Hackhurst and White Downs
- Hankley Farm
- Hedgecourt
- Horsell Common
- Kempton Park Reservoirs
- Knight and Bessborough Reservoirs
- Langham Pond
- Leith Hill
- Lingfield Cernes
- Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment
- Moor Park
- Ockham and Wisley Commons
- Papercourt
- Puttenham and Crooksbury Commons
- Quarry Hangers
- Ranmore Common
- Reigate Heath
- Sheepleas
- Smart's and Prey Heaths
- Staffhurst Wood
- Staines Moor
- Stones Road Pond
- Thorpe Hay Meadow
- Thorpe Park No 1 Gravel Pit
- Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons
- Titsey Woods
- Vann Lake and Ockley Woods
- Wey Valley Meadows
- Whitmoor Common
- Windsor Forest and Great Park
- Woldingham and Oxted Downs
- Wraysbury Reservoir