Jump to content

Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve: Difference between revisions

Edit links
Coordinates: 50°53′38″N 0°49′59″W / 50.894°N 0.833°W / 50.894; -0.833
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Ash trees
 
(26 intermediate revisions by 16 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Nature reserve in the United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox SSSI
{{Infobox SSSI
|image=[[Image:Walker at Kingley Vale.jpg|240px]]
|image= Looking down Kingley Vale.jpg
|image_caption=A visitor near a wooded area of the reserve
|image_caption =
|name=Kingley Vale
|name= Kingley Vale
⚫
|aos= West Sussex
|latitude=50.88636
|longitude=-0.83421
⚫
|aos=West Sussex
|interest=Biological
|interest=Biological
|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|SU822107}}
|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|SU 822 112}}<ref name=dsv/>
|area={{convert|209.4|ha|abbr=on}}
|area= {{convert|204.4|ha|acre|abbr=off}}<ref name=dsv/>
|notifydate= 1986<ref name=dsv/>
|notifydate={{Start date|1952}}
|map=[https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271002819%27 ''Magic Map'']
|enref=1002819
}}
}}
'''Kingley Vale''' is a {{convert| 204.4 |ha|acre|abbr=off|adj=on}} biological [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] north of [[Chichester]] in [[West Sussex]].<ref name=dsv>{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1002819&SiteName=&countyCode=46&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Kingley Vale | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 1 May 2019}}</ref><ref name=map>{{cite web|url= https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271002819%27|title=Map of Kingley Vale|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= 1 May 2019}}</ref> It is also a [[Special Area of Conservation]]<ref>{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=UK0012767&SiteName=&countyCode=46&responsiblePerson=&unitId=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Kingley Vale | series= Special Areas of Conservation|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 6 April 2019}}</ref> and a [[Nature Conservation Review]] site, Grade I.<ref>{{cite book|editor-first=Derek |editor-last=Ratcliffe |title=A Nature Conservation Review|volume=2 |page=118 |publisher= Cambridge University Press|location =Cambridge, UK |year=1977|isbn= 0521-21403-3 }}</ref> An area of {{convert|147.9|ha|acre|abbr=off}} is a [[National nature reserve (United Kingdom)|national nature reserve]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=1006085&SiteName=Kingley%20Vale&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Kingley Vale | series= National Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 1 May 2019}}</ref>


The site is managed by [[Natural England]]. It has an information centre and a nature trail.<ref>[http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designations/nnr/1006085.aspx Natural England]</ref> There is a large area of grass downland and shrubland with a number of old yew trees. From the top there are views over Sussex and the south coast. There are a number of walks and bridleways around the NNR.The main walk (known as the "Hidden Landscape Trail") focuses on the [[Devil's Humps, Stoughton|Devil's Humps]], [[Goosehill Camp]] and Auxiliary units of [[World War II]], as well as highlighting other hidden ancient features.<ref name=sdnp>{{cite web|author=SDNP|title=Kingley Vale Hidden Trail|series=Secret of the High Woods|publisher=South Downs National Park Authority|url=https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Kingley-Vale-Hidden-Trail-Final-web-version.pdf|access-date=24 September 2022|year=2017}}</ref>
The '''Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve''' is a [[national nature reserve (United Kingdom)|national nature reserve]] (NNR) near [[Chichester]], [[West Sussex]] in southern [[England]], and is on part of the [[South Downs]]. It covers an area of 160 hectares (400 acres).<ref>{{cite book|last=Natural England|title=Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve Leaflet|year=2010|publisher=Natural England|url=http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/file/60048 |format=PDF}}</ref> It is part of the wider [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] at Kingley Vale.<ref>{{cite paper|title=SSSI Citation &mdash; Kingley Vale |publisher=Natural England |url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002819.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=4 April 2009}}</ref>


⚫
The reserve car park is at [[West Stoke]] about five miles northwest of Chichester,<ref name="osexp197">{{cite book|title=Chichester and South Downs|publisher=Ordnance Survey|year=2006|edition= Landranger|series=OS Map|volume=197}}</ref> and there are footpaths leading up from the village of [[Stoughton, West Sussex|Stoughton]].<ref name=sdnp />
The site is managed by [[Natural England]]. It has an information centre and a nature trail.<ref>[http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designations/nnr/1006085.aspx Natural England]</ref> There is a large area of grass downland and shrub land with a number of old [[European Yew|yew]] trees. From the top there are views over Sussex and the south coast.

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

⚫
The nearest car park is at [[West Stoke]] about five miles northwest of Chichester,<ref name="osexp197">{{cite book|title=Chichester and South Downs|publisher=Ordnance Survey|year=2006|edition=Landranger|series=OS Map|volume=197}}</ref> and there are footpaths leading up from the village of [[Stoughton, West Sussex|Stoughton]].


==Natural features==
==Natural features==
[[File:Ancient yew, Kingley Vale 33.JPG|thumb|An ancient yew]]
⚫
[[Image:KingleyVale.JPG|thumb|left|Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve]]
Kingley Vale has one of Europe's most impressive [[European Yew|yew]] forests. The forest contains yews as much as 2,000 years old, which are some of the oldest living organisms in [[Great Britain]].<ref>{{cite web | year=2003 | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/about/teams/team_photo/KingleyVale.pdf | title= Kingley Vale| publisher=[[English Nature]] | accessdate=1 June 2007}}</ref> Their survival is remarkable because most ancient yew trees across Europe were felled after the 14th century, being the preferred material for the staves of [[English longbow]]s.
Kingley Vale has one of Europe's most impressive [[European Yew|yew]] forests. The forest contains yews as much as 2,000 years old, which are some of the oldest living organisms in [[Great Britain]].<ref>{{cite web|year=2003 |url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/about/teams/team_photo/KingleyVale.pdf |title=Kingley Vale |publisher=[[English Nature]] |access-date=1 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611014019/http://www.english-nature.org.uk/about/teams/team_photo/KingleyVale.pdf |archive-date=11 June 2007 }}</ref> Their survival is remarkable because most ancient yew trees across Europe were felled after the 14th century, being the preferred material for the staves of [[English longbow]]s.


In 1472, with the increasing popularity of the longbow, the English government enacted a "yew tax" of four "bowestaffs" for every cask of wine unloaded at an English harbour.<ref name=robbins>{{cite book|title=The Man Who Planted Trees: Lost Groves, Champion Trees, and an Urgent Plan to Save the Planet |author=Jim Robbins |date=2012 |publisher=Spiegel & Grau}}</ref> This sparked a rush for ancient yew trees across Europe, decimating the forests.<ref name=robbins/> Kingley Vale is one of the few major stands remaining; most yews elsewhere are solitary trees or small stands.<ref name=robbins/>
In 1472, with the increasing popularity of the longbow, the English government enacted a "yew tax" of four "bowestaffs" for every cask of wine unloaded at an English harbour.<ref name=robbins>{{cite book|title=The Man Who Planted Trees: Lost Groves, Champion Trees, and an Urgent Plan to Save the Planet |author=Jim Robbins |date=2012 |publisher=Spiegel & Grau}}</ref> This sparked a rush for ancient yew trees across Europe, decimating the forests.<ref name=robbins/> Kingley Vale is one of the few major stands remaining; most yews elsewhere are solitary trees or small stands.<ref name=robbins/>


Other tree species in Kingley Vale include oak, [[Fraxinus excelsior|ash]], [[Ilex aquifolium|holly]] and [[Crataegus monogyna|hawthorn]]. The chalk grassland is home to many flowers and herbs that form a diverse 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.<ref>''Kingley Vale''. Ashford, Nature Conservancy Council South East Region, 1978.</ref>
Other tree species in Kingley Vale include oak, [[Fraxinus excelsior|ash]], [[Ilex aquifolium|holly]] and [[Crataegus monogyna|hawthorn]]. Numerous ash trees were felled because of [[Ash dieback]] fungal infection that affected much of the South Downs in the 2010s. This has created new clearings in the woods for other plants to grow. The chalk grassland is home to many flowers and herbs that form a diverse 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.<ref>''Kingley Vale''. Ashford, Nature Conservancy Council South East Region, 1978.</ref>


==Heritage sites==
==Heritage sites==
[[Image:The Devil's Humps - geograph.org.uk - 1503594.jpg|thumb|The Devil's Humps]]
Kingley Vale has a rich and diverse heritage with remains of a [[Roman Temple]],<ref>{{cite journal|last=Down|first=Alec|journal=Chichester Excavations|year=1979|volume=4|pages=36–7}}</ref> [[Iron Age]] settlement site known as [[Goosehill Camp]],<ref>{{cite journal|last=Boyden|first=J. R.|title=Excavations at Goosehill Camp, 1953-5|journal=Sussex Archaeological Collection|year=1956|volume=94|pages=70–99}}</ref> the [[Devil's Humps, Stoughton|Devil's Humps]] [[Bronze Age]] round [[Tumulus|barrows]] and prehistoric [[flint]] mines. There are also a number of unidentified archaeological remains in the form of linear earthworks, a rectangular enclosure known as [[Bow Hill, West Sussex|Bow Hill]] Camp and evidence of settlement at the base of the hill.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pastscape|url=http://www.pastscape.org.uk/|publisher=English Heritage|accessdate=10 May 2011}}</ref>
Kingley Vale has a rich and diverse heritage with remains of a [[Romano-Celtic temple]] at [[Bow Hill, West Sussex|Bow Hill]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Down|first=Alec|title=Gazeteer of Sites and Finds|journal=Chichester Excavations|publisher=Phillimore & Co. Ltd.|location=Chichester|year=1979|volume= 4|pages= 36–7|isbn=0-85033-344-X}}</ref> [[Iron Age]] settlement site known as Goosehill Camp,<ref>{{cite journal|last=Boyden|first=J. R.|title=Excavations at Goosehill Camp, 1953-5|journal=Sussex Archaeological Collections|year=1956|volume=94|pages=70–99 |doi=10.5284/1085886 |doi-access=free}}</ref> the Devil's Humps [[Bronze Age]] round [[Tumulus|barrows]] and prehistoric [[flint]] mines. There are also a number of unidentified archaeological remains in the form of linear earthworks, a rectangular enclosure known as Bow Hill Camp and evidence of settlement at the base of the hill.<ref>{{cite web|author=Heritage Gateway|title=A multiple enclosure fort known as Goosehill Camp and a prehistoric linear boundary on Bow Hill |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1008375&resourceID=5|publisher=Historic England|access-date=31 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531144458/https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1008375&resourceID=5|archive-date=31 May 2022 }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*{{oscoor gbx|SU821103}}
*{{oscoor gbx|SU821103}}
*[http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designatedareas/nnr/1006085.aspx Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve]
*[http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designatedareas/nnr/1006085.aspx Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve]
*[https://www.ancient-yew.org/ss.php/kingley-vale/2/47/54 Yews at Kingley Vale]
*Richard Williamson, ''The Great Yew Forest. The Natural History of Kingley Vale'', London, Macmillan, 1978. ISBN 0-333-22739-5
*Richard Williamson, ''The Great Yew Forest. The Natural History of Kingley Vale'', London, Macmillan, 1978. {{ISBN|0-333-22739-5}}
⚫
{{Commons category|Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve}}
{{Coord| 50.894|-0.833 |type:landmark_region:GB-BNE|display=title}}
{{SSSIs West Sussex }}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1952]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in West Sussex]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in West Sussex]]
[[Category:National nature reserves in England]]
[[Category:National nature reserves in England]]
[[Category:Chichester]]
[[Category:Chichester]]
[[Category:Nature Conservation Review sites]]
[[Category:Special Areas of Conservation in England]]

Latest revision as of 07:49, 23 June 2023

Kingley Vale
Site of Special Scientific Interest
StandortWest Sussex
Grid referenceSU 822 112[1]
InterestBiological
Area204.4 hectares (505 acres)[1]
Notification1986[1]
Location mapMagic Map

Kingley Vale is a 204.4-hectare (505-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Chichester in West Sussex.[1][2] It is also a Special Area of Conservation[3] and a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I.[4] An area of 147.9 hectares (365 acres) is a national nature reserve.[5]

The site is managed by Natural England. It has an information centre and a nature trail.[6] There is a large area of grass downland and shrubland with a number of old yew trees. From the top there are views over Sussex and the south coast. There are a number of walks and bridleways around the NNR.The main walk (known as the "Hidden Landscape Trail") focuses on the Devil's Humps, Goosehill Camp and Auxiliary units of World War II, as well as highlighting other hidden ancient features.[7]

The reserve car park is at West Stoke about five miles northwest of Chichester,[8] and there are footpaths leading up from the village of Stoughton.[7]

Natural features

[edit]
An ancient yew

Kingley Vale has one of Europe's most impressive yew forests. The forest contains yews as much as 2,000 years old, which are some of the oldest living organisms in Great Britain.[9] Their survival is remarkable because most ancient yew trees across Europe were felled after the 14th century, being the preferred material for the staves of English longbows.

In 1472, with the increasing popularity of the longbow, the English government enacted a "yew tax" of four "bowestaffs" for every cask of wine unloaded at an English harbour.[10] This sparked a rush for ancient yew trees across Europe, decimating the forests.[10] Kingley Vale is one of the few major stands remaining; most yews elsewhere are solitary trees or small stands.[10]

Other tree species in Kingley Vale include oak, ash, holly and hawthorn. Numerous ash trees were felled because of Ash dieback fungal infection that affected much of the South Downs in the 2010s. This has created new clearings in the woods for other plants to grow. The chalk grassland is home to many flowers and herbs that form a diverse 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.[11]

Heritage sites

[edit]
The Devil's Humps

Kingley Vale has a rich and diverse heritage with remains of a Romano-Celtic temple at Bow Hill.[12] Iron Age settlement site known as Goosehill Camp,[13] the Devil's Humps Bronze Age round barrows and prehistoric flint mines. There are also a number of unidentified archaeological remains in the form of linear earthworks, a rectangular enclosure known as Bow Hill Camp and evidence of settlement at the base of the hill.[14]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: Kingley Vale". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Map of Kingley Vale". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Designated Sites View: Kingley Vale". Special Areas of Conservation. Natural England. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  4. ^ Ratcliffe, Derek, ed. (1977). A Nature Conservation Review. Vol. 2. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 118. ISBN 0521-21403-3.
  5. ^ "Designated Sites View: Kingley Vale". National Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  6. ^ Natural England
  7. ^ a b SDNP (2017). "Kingley Vale Hidden Trail" (PDF). Secret of the High Woods. South Downs National Park Authority. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  8. ^ Chichester and South Downs. OS Map. Vol. 197 (Landranger ed.). Ordnance Survey. 2006.
  9. ^ "Kingley Vale" (PDF). English Nature. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
  10. ^ a b c Jim Robbins (2012). The Man Who Planted Trees: Lost Groves, Champion Trees, and an Urgent Plan to Save the Planet. Spiegel & Grau.
  11. ^ Kingley Vale. Ashford, Nature Conservancy Council South East Region, 1978.
  12. ^ Down, Alec (1979). "Gazeteer of Sites and Finds". Chichester Excavations. 4. Chichester: Phillimore & Co. Ltd.: 36–7. ISBN 0-85033-344-X.
  13. ^ Boyden, J. R. (1956). "Excavations at Goosehill Camp, 1953-5". Sussex Archaeological Collections. 94: 70–99. doi:10.5284/1085886.
  14. ^ Heritage Gateway. "A multiple enclosure fort known as Goosehill Camp and a prehistoric linear boundary on Bow Hill". Historic England. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve.

50°53′38″N 0°49′59″W / 50.894°N 0.833°W / 50.894; -0.833

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kingley_Vale_National_Nature_Reserve&oldid=1161521463"