Heyshott Down is a 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 ...
south of
Midhurst in
West Sussex.
It is a
Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2.
This site on the
South Downs is unimproved chalk grassland, which is a nationally rare habitat. The grassland is plant-rich and it is nationally important for
moss
Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...
es and
liverworts, such as ''
Antitrichia curtipendula
''Antitrichia curtipendula'' (also known as pendulous wing moss or hanging moss) is a species of Hypnales, feather-moss found predominantly in western North America and the western coast of Europe.
Description
''Antitrichia curtipendula'' has d ...
'', ''
Hylocomium brevirostre'' and ''
Rhytidiadelphus loreus
''Rhytidiadelphus loreus'', also commonly known as lanky moss, is a nonvascular "feather moss" species that is a key component of a healthy, thriving forest ecosystem. Lanky moss grows in North America, Canada and Europe. It is primarily a coas ...
''. The site is also nationally important for
spiders and
harvestmen and it is one of only two sites in Britain where the spider ''
Tapinocyboides pygmaea'' has been recorded.
There is access by footpaths from
Cocking and
Heyshott
Heyshott is a village and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It is approximately three miles south of Midhurst. Like many villages it has lost its shop but still has one pubthe Unicorn Inn The hamlet of Hoyle is to t ...
.
References
{{SSSIs West Sussex
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in West Sussex
Nature Conservation Review sites