Stonesfield Common, Bottoms and Banks

Stonesfield Common, Bottoms and Banks

Site of Special Scientific Interest
Location	Oxfordshire
Grid reference	SP 392 165[1]
Interest	Biological
Area	27.45 hectares (67.8 acres)[1]
Notification	1989[1]
Location map	Magic Map

Stonesfield Common, Bottoms and Banks is a 27.45-hectare (67.8-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) south of Stonesfield in Oxfordshire.^[1][2][3]

This site is composed of steeply sloping valleys and banks. Most of it is unimproved Oolithic limestone grassland and scrub, but there is also an area of semi-natural beech-wych elm ancient woodland. This area forms one of the largest remnants of such grassland type in the UK.^[3] The five units of Stonesfield Common, Bottoms and Banks SSSI are Church Street, Baggs Bottom, The Common, Stockey Bottom, and the River Evenlode.^[4] The site is managed by the Thames Solent area team.^[5] The grass in Stonesfield Common is mainly upright brome, and herbs include field scabious, greater knapweed, lady's bedstraw and pyramidal orchid.^[3] The main habitats present in the SSSI are broadleaved, mixed and yew woodland lowland, and calcareous grassland.^[1] Soils in this site are typically calcareous with stoneless, clayey soils.^[3] Fauna in the area includes the small blue butterfly Cupido minimus, colonies of the marbled white Melanargia galathea butterflies, and invertebrate territories such as those of the white-legged damselfly Platycnemis pennipes.^[3]

51°50′46″N 1°25′55″W / 51.846°N 1.432°W / 51.846; -1.432