Wilmington Downs
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 | |
| Location | East Sussex |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TQ 544 030[1] |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 209.8 hectares (518 acres)[1] |
| Notification | 1986[1] |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Wilmington Downs is a 209.8-hectare (518-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Eastbourne in East Sussex.[1][2] The site includes a Scheduled Monument, the Long Man of Wilmington, a turf cut figure which may be of prehistoric origin.[3]
This site is mainly chalk grassland on the steep slope of the South Downs. It is important for invertebrates, including two protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981, the wart-biter grasshopper and the snail Monacha cartusiana. There are also several unusual species of lichens and mosses.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: Wilmington Downs". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ "Map of Wilmington Downs". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "A turf-cut hill figure known as The Long Man of Wilmington, 914m south-east of Acorn Barn (1002293)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ "Wilmington Downs citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
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