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Parsonage Down
Parsonage Down () is a 188.6 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, England, SSSI notification, notified in 1971. It lies about west of Amesbury, in Winterbourne Stoke parish. Description The site is a national nature reserve (United Kingdom), national nature reserve in recognition of its importance as part of the Salisbury Plain landscape and calcareous grassland it supports. Parsonage Down and Cherry Lodge Farm together form the only farm directly managed by Natural England. The farm is run for the benefit of wildlife and conservation within the SSSI and NNR, and is home to the oldest registered herd of English Longhorn cattle in the United Kingdom. Following the introduction of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, the whole of the site was designated "access land" and is, therefore, open to public access. Biological interest The site has the largest population of burnt orchid (''Neotinea ustulata'') in northwest Europe.Harrap, Anne and Sim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parsonage Down - Geograph
A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or Minister (Christianity), ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically owned and maintained by a church, as a benefit to its clergy. This practice exists in many denominations because of the tendency of clergy to be transferred from one church to another at relatively frequent intervals. Also, in smaller communities, suitable housing is not as available. In addition, such a residence can be supplied in lieu of salary, which may not be able to be provided (especially at smaller congregations). Catholic clergy houses in particular may be lived in by several priests from a parish. Clergy houses frequently serve as the administrative office of the local parish, as well as a residence. They are normally located next to, or at least close to, the church their occupant serves. Partly because o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hectare
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is about and one hectare contains about . In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the ''are'' was defined as 100 square metres, or one square decametre, and the hectare ("hecto-" + "are") was thus 100 ''ares'' or km2 (10,000 square metres). When the metric system was further rationalised in 1960, resulting in the International System of Units (), the ''are'' was not included as a recognised unit. The hectare, however, remains as a non-SI unit accepted for use with the SI and whose use is "expected to continue indefinitely". Though the dekare/decare daa (1,000 m2) and are (100 m2) are not officially "accepted for use", they are still used in some contexts. Description The hectare (), although not a unit of SI, i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Biological Site Of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man. SSSI/ASSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in the United Kingdom are based upon them, including national nature reserves, Ramsar sites, Special Protection Areas, and Special Areas of Conservation. The acronym "SSSI" is often pronounced "triple-S I". Selection and conservation Sites notified for their biological interest are known as Biological SSSIs (or ASSIs), and those notified for geological or physiographic interest are Geological SSSIs (or ASSIs). Sites may be divided into management units, with some areas including units that are noted for both biological and geological interest. Biological Biological SSSI/ASSIs may b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SSSI Notification
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man. SSSI/ASSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in the United Kingdom are based upon them, including national nature reserves, Ramsar sites, Special Protection Areas, and Special Areas of Conservation. The acronym "SSSI" is often pronounced "triple-S I". Selection and conservation Sites notified for their biological interest are known as Biological SSSIs (or ASSIs), and those notified for geological or physiographic interest are Geological SSSIs (or ASSIs). Sites may be divided into management units, with some areas including units that are noted for both biological and geological interest. Biological Biological SSSI/ASSIs may ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amesbury
Amesbury () is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is known for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is within the parish. The town is claimed to be the oldest occupied settlement in Great Britain, having been first settled around 8820 BC. The parish includes the hamlets of Ratfyn and West Amesbury, and part of Boscombe Down military airfield. Etymology The derivation of the name of the town is uncertain. It may derive from an Anglo-Saxon named ''Ambre'', or from the Old English ''amore-burh'' meaning 'fortification frequented by buntings or/and Yellowhammers'. It has also been suggested that the name is derived from Ambrosius Aurelianus, leader of Romano-British resistance to Saxon invasions in the 5th century. Geography Amesbury is located in southern Wiltshire, north-northeast of Salisbury on the A345. It sits in the River Avon valley on the southern fringes of Salisbury Plain and has historically been considered an important river crossing area on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Winterbourne Stoke
Winterbourne Stoke is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, about west of Amesbury and west of the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge. The village is on the River Till at the southern edge of Salisbury Plain, on both sides of a single-carriageway stretch of the busy A303 trunk road. History Especially in its east part, the parish is rich in archaeological remains, beginning in the Neolithic period. The easternmost part of the parish (beyond the A360/B3086) is within the Stonehenge section of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage site. This area includes the Lesser Cursus earthwork and adjacent barrows, and the western tip of the Greater Cursus (which predates Stonehenge) and the nearby Cursus Barrows. North of the village, on the slopes of the Till valley, are two cemetery sites with round barrows and later earthworks. A Romano-British settlement, medieval earthworks and a field system have been identified on Winterbourne Stoke Down, northeast of the villag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Nature Reserve (United Kingdom)
Some statutory nature reserves are designated by national bodies in the United Kingdom, and are known as national nature reserves. Great Britain In Great Britain, nature reserves designed under Part III of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 that are deemed to be of national importance may be designated as statutory 'national nature reserves' by the relevant national nature conservation body (Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage, or Natural Resources Wales) using section 35(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. If a nature reserve is designated by a local authority in Great Britain, then the resulting statutory nature reserve will be referred to as a local nature reserve. England In England, 229 national nature reserves are designated by Natural England. Scotland In Scotland, 43 national nature reserves are designated by NatureScot. Wales In Wales, 76 national nature reserves are designated by Natural Resources Wales. Northern Ireland ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in the south western part of central southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, but stretches into Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known landmarks. Large areas are given over to military training and thus the sparsely populated plain is the biggest remaining area of calcareous grassland in northwest Europe. Additionally the plain has arable land, and a few small areas of beech trees and coniferous woodland. Its highest point is Easton Hill. Physical geography The boundaries of Salisbury Plain have never been truly defined, and there is some difference of opinion as to its exact area. The river valleys surrounding it, and other downs and plains beyond them loosely define its boundaries. To the north the scarp of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Calcareous Grassland
Calcareous grassland (or alkaline grassland) is an ecosystem associated with thin basic soil, such as that on chalk and limestone downland. Plants on calcareous grassland are typically short and hardy, and include grasses and herbs such as clover. Calcareous grassland is an important habitat for insects, particularly butterflies and ants, and is kept at a plagioclimax by grazing animals, usually sheep and sometimes cattle. Rabbits used to play a part but due to the onset of myxomatosis their numbers decreased so dramatically that they no longer have much of a grazing effect. There are large areas of calcareous grassland in northwestern Europe, particularly areas of southern England, such as Salisbury Plain and the North and South Downs. The machair forms a different kind of calcareous grassland, where fertile low-lying plains are formed on ground that is calcium-rich due to shell sand (pulverised sea shells). See also * Alvar * Chalk heath * Edaphic * Gypcrust * Gypsum flora ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved. It also has a responsibility to help people enjoy, understand and access the natural environment. Natural England focuses its activities and resources on four strategic outcomes: * a healthy natural environment * enjoyment of the natural environment * sustainable use of the natural environment * a secure environmental future Roles and responsibilities As a non-departmental public body (NDPB), Natural England is independent of government. However, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has the legal power to issue guidance to Natural England on various matters, a constraint that was not placed on its predecessor NDPBs. Its powers inc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
English Longhorn
The Longhorn or British Longhorn is a British breed of beef cattle characterised by long curving horns. It originated in northern England, in the counties of Lancashire, Westmorland and Yorkshire, and later spread to the English Midlands and to Ireland. It was originally a slow heavy draught animal; cows gave a little milk, although high in fat. In the eighteenth century Robert Bakewell applied his methods of selective breeding to these cattle, which for a short time became the predominant British breed. Both the numbers and the quality of the breed declined throughout the nineteenth century and for much of the twentieth. A breed society was formed in 1878, and a herd-book published in that year. The Longhorn was formerly listed as "priority" on the watchlist of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, but in 2021 was listed among the "UK native breeds". The cattle are variable in colour, but are always finched – with a heavy line of white along the spine, tail and underside of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Countryside And Rights Of Way Act
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (c. 37), known informally as the CRoW Act or "Right to Roam" Act is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament affecting England and Wales which came into force on 30 November 2000. Right to roam The Act implements the so-called "right to roam" (also known as ''jus spatiandi'') long sought by the Ramblers' Association and its predecessors, on certain upland and uncultivated areas of England and Wales. This element of the act was implemented in stages as conclusive maps of different regions were produced. The act refers to areas of 'mountain, moor, heath and down' in addition to registered common land; not all uncultivated land is covered. Rights of way A staged review of public rights of way, including limited rights to create new public footpaths where needed, is being conducted under the Act. Again, this is being conducted in a staged manner, which can produce anomalies – of the two administrative areas of the County of Gloucestershir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
