- Draycott Sleights
-
Draycott Sleights Site of Special Scientific Interest 
Shown within SomersetArea of Search Somerset Grid reference ST483518 Coordinates 51°15′47″N 2°44′31″W / 51.263°N 2.742°WCoordinates: 51°15′47″N 2°44′31″W / 51.263°N 2.742°W Interest Biological Area 61.95 hectares (0.62 km2; 0.24 sq mi) Notification 1987 Natural England website Draycott Sleights (grid reference ST483518) is a 61.95 hectares (153.1 acres) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Draycott in the Mendip Hills, Somerset, notified in 1987.
The Somerset Wildlife Trust reserve lies 3.5 km (2.2 mi) south east of Cheddar. It includes Draycott Sleights, 40.4 hectares (100 acres), and Draycott Housegrounds, 10.21 hectares (25.2 acres). Draycott Sleights is part of the Draycott Sleights Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Draycott Housegrounds is a County Wildlife Site. The entire reserve is within the Mendips Scarp Prime Biodiversity Area (PBA) and Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).[1]
Draycott Sleights supports extensive areas of traditionally managed species-rich unimproved calcareous grassland. Additional interest lies in a rich invertebrate fauna. The site is situated on steep south-west facing slopes of the Mendip Hills and ranges in altitude from 90 m (300 ft) to 270 m (890 ft). 165 species of flowering plant have been recorded. The varied topography together with the widespread scrub provide a number of locations with ideal conditions for invertebrates supporting a rich butterfly fauna typical of unimproved calcareous grassland. 32 species of resident breeding butterfly have been recorded to date. The occurrence of Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus), Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus) and Small Blue (Cupido minimus) is of particular interest. Two nationally scarce species of fly, Symphoromyia immaculata and Bombylius canescens and one nationally scarce species of ant, Myrmica schencki have been recorded for this site.[2]
References
- ^ "Draycott Sleights". Somerset Wildlife Trust. http://www.somersetwildlife.org/reserve.php?name=Draycott_Sleights. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
- ^ "Draycott Sleights". English Nature. http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1001656.pdf. Retrieved 2006-07-17.
Aller and Beer Woods · Aller Hill · Asham Wood · Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill · Babcary Meadows · Barle Valley · Barrington Hill Meadows · Berrow Dunes · Black Down and Sampford Commons · Brean Down · Bridgwater Bay · Briggins Moor · Catcott, Edington and Chilton Moors · Chancellor's Farm · Cheddar Complex · Cheddar Reservoir · Cheddar Wood · Cleeve Hill · Cogley Wood · Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill · Curry and Hay Moors · Deadman · Draycott Sleights · Dunster Park and Heathlands · East Polden Grasslands · Ebbor Gorge · Edford Woods and Meadows · Exmoor Coastal Heaths · Fivehead Woods and Meadow · Freshmoor · Friar's Oven · Ge-mare Farm Fields · Great Breach and Copley Woods · Grove Farm · Hardington Moor · Hestercombe House · Holme Moor & Clean Moor · King's Sedgemoor · Kingdown and Middledown · Kingweston Meadows · Lang's Farm · Langford Heathfield · Langmead and Weston Level · Long Lye · Long Lye Meadow · Longleat Woods · Millwater · Moorlinch · Nettlecombe Park · North Brewham Meadows · North Curry Meadow · North Exmoor · North Moor · Old Ironstone Works, Mells · Perch · Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh · Postlebury Wood · Priddy Pools · Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood · Quantock Hills · Quants · Ringdown · River Barle · Rodney Stoke · Roebuck Meadows · Ruttersleigh · Severn Estuary · Shapwick Heath · Sharpham Moor Plot · South Exmoor · Southey and Gotleigh Moors · Southlake Moor · Sparkford Wood · St. Dunstan's Well Catchment · Stowell Meadow · Street Heath · Tealham and Tadham Moors · Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands · Twinhills Woods and Meadows · Vallis Vale · Walton and Ivythorn Hills · West Moor · West Sedgemoor · Westhay Heath · Westhay Moor · Wet Moor · Whitevine Meadows · Windsor Hill Marsh · Wookey Hole · Woolhayes FarmNeighbouring areas: Avon · Devon · Dorset · WiltshireCategories:- Mendip Hills
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1987
- Nature reserves in Somerset
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
