Winsley Mines () is a 1.48

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 ...

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 ...

, near the village of

Winsley Winsley is a large village and civil parish about west of Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, England. The parish includes the hamlets of Conkwell, Turleigh, Little Ashley and Great Ashley. History The area was probably farmed in Roman times, ...

in Wiltshire, England, notified in 1989. The site is a hibernation roost for the

Greater Horseshoe bat The greater horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus ferrumequinum'') is an insectivorous bat of the genus '' Rhinolophus''. Its distribution covers Europe, Northern Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Asia. It is the largest of the horseshoe bats in Europe an ...

, and forms part of the Bath and Bradford-on-Avon Bats

Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...

Sources

Natural England citation sheet for the site
(accessed 25 May 2023) *

External links

Natural England website
(SSSI information)
Winsley Quarries
– Bradford on Avon Museum, November 2011 {{coord, 51.34501, N, 2.29572, W, region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(ST795607), display=title Bat roosts Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1989