Location rankings

Rank Title Description Species total
41 RSPB Scotland Loch Lomond

A large reserve on the south-east shore of Loch Lomond with a huge variety of habitats, including dry ancient woodland, carr, conifer plantation, wet meadows, ditches, rivers and streams, ponds, bog, fen, dry grassland, rocky shore, sandy shore, and the magnificent loch itself.

1869
42 Sutton Courtenay (1km square)

A 1km square in the middle of the Oxfordshire village of Sutton Courtenay, covering the river Thames and some scrubby bits of waste ground, a 'millenium common' (rank scrubby grassland), and some gardens. Recorded in by Richard Comont for the 2013 and 2014 1000 species in a 1km square challenges

1843
43 AJM's garden, Shotesham (Norfolk)

Fairly regular moth-trapping since 2006 plus other bits and pieces recorded sporadically. Includes birds/mammals seen from the garden too. Garden is a subset of the TM2499 site in these rankings. 

Last updated 1st Jan 2023

1838
44 Danbury Common, Lingwood Common, Blake's Wood (NT)

These three sites are found around Danbury, a village a few miles east of Chelmsford, Essex. Danbury Common is the second largest area of heathland in Essex and includes heath, acid grassland, scrub, woodland, ponds and streams. Lingwood Common (21 ha) also has some heathland, plus more woodland and scrub. Blake's Wood (42 ha) is semi-natural ancient woodland, lots of coppice, streams, ponds and a rich ground flora. Ad hoc species recording over many years has built up decent lists, notably of beetles, moths and plants, but many records are dated and species need re-finding.

1702
45 Malling Down Sussex Wildlife Trust Reserve

Superb chalk-grassland and scrub with many typical and rare flowers and invertebrates, all within walking distance of Lewes town centre. 1/8th of all the species of beetle in the UK have been recorded at Malling Down!

 

1679
46 Filsham Reedbed Sussex Wildlife Trust Reserve

A reedbed with ditches and pools set in a river valley floodplain between Bexhill and Hastings.

1638
47 Whipsnade and Dunstable Downs (NT)

Chilterns downland and farmland site of about 200 ha, with SSSI chalk grassland and scrub, and a large area of arable reversion to chalk-neutral grassland. Some small areas of woodland, mixed hedges. Important Butterfly fauna, decent wildflowers, moths and beetles, but few other groups have been regularly investigated. 

1623
48 Whiteknights Park

The main campus of the University of Reading. Records from staff and students both past and present, as well as visiting recorders. For more information and complete species lists, see our biodiversity blog.

1562
49 Marline Valley Sussex Wildlife Trust Reserve

Close to the town of Hastings lies a deep wooded valley, or ghyll. At the bottom of this valley runs a stream, babbling over sandstone. Many mosses, liverworts and ferns are the reason for the site's designation as a SSSI but the neutral meadows abover the ghyll are also fantastically rich for wildlife.

1446
50 Rothamsted Trap 664, Wheldrake, nr York

Running since May 2010, this light trap is part of the long-running Rothamsted Insect Survey and contributes data essential to the long-term monitoring of moth populations. 0.000025ha.

1439

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