Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods
Nature preserve in West Sussex, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods is a 155.9-hectare (385-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-east of Crawley in West Sussex, England.[1][2] It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I,[3] and part of it is a Geological Conservation Review site.[4]
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Sandstone crag in Tilgate Wood | |
| Location | West Sussex |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TQ 336 321[1] |
| Interest | Biological Geological |
| Area | 155.9 hectares (385 acres)[1] |
| Notification | 1987[1] |
| Location map | Magic Map |
These woods have steep sided valleys formed by streams cutting through Wadhurst Clay and Tunbridge Wells sands, exposing outcrops of sandstone. The valleys have a warm, moist micro-climate, with a rich variety of ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens. There is a diverse breeding bird community. Chiddingly Wood is geologically important because weathering of its sandstone has produced sculptured blocks and a comprehensive set of micro-weathering features.[5]
