Kingley Vale NNR

The Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve is a National Nature Reserve (NNR) near Chichester, West Sussex in southern England, and is part of the South Downs. It covers an area of 140 hectares.

The site is managed by the Natural England. It has an information centre and a nature trail and a number of Bronze Age Round barrows are visible as mounds on Bow Hill [ [http://www.english-nature.org.uk/special/nnr/nnr_details.asp?NNR_ID=93 Natural England] ] . There is a large area of grass downland and shrub land with a number of old yew trees. From the top there are outstanding views over Sussex and the south coast.

There are a number of walks and bridleways around the NNR with the main being around the woodland and yew trees and up to the top of the hills.

The nearest car park is at West Stoke about 5 miles northwest of Chichester Ordnance Survey (2006). "OS Landranger Map 197 - Chichester and South Downs". ISBN 0-319-22819-3.] , and there are footpaths leading up from the village of Stoughton.

Natural Phenomena

Kingley Vale is home to one of Europe's most impressive yew forests. The forest contains yews as much as 2,000 years old. They comprise some of the oldest living organisms in Great Britain. [cite website | date=2003 | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/about/teams/team_photo/KingleyVale.pdf | title= Kingley Vale| publisher=English Nature | accessdate=2007-06-01]

Besides the yew forest, one can find oak, ash, holly and hawthorn. The chalk grassland is home to a great number of flowers and herbs that form a diverse and intricate mosaic of species. Over 50 species of birds are found, although only six species breed in the yew woodland. Mammals include deer, yellow-necked mouse, water shrew and dormouse. The 39 species of butterfly at Kingley Vale are mainly found in the grassland. ["Kingley Vale". Ashford, Nature Conservancy Council South East Region, 1978.]

References

External links

*oscoor|SU821103_region:GB_scale:100000|Map sources for Kingley Vale.
* [http://www.english-nature.org.uk/special/nnr/nnr_details.asp?nnr_name=kingley+vale&C=0&Habitat=0&natural_area=&local_team=0&spotlight_reserve=0&X=&NNR_ID=93 English Nature website] on Kingley Vale

* [http://www.english-nature.org.uk/about/teams/team_photo/KingleyVale.pdf Kingley Vale]
* [http://www.nqsouthern.com/digitalpublication/digitalpublications/index.cfm?dpid=133&section_id=1024 Wessex Walks]