Monkswood Valley

Monkswood Valley
Site of Special Scientific Interest
LocationAvon
Grid referenceST754710
InterestBiological
Area30.7 hectare
Notification1990
Location mapEnglish Nature

Monkswood Valley (grid reference ST754710) is a 30.7-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) near the village of Cold Ashton, South Gloucestershire, notified in 1990.[1]

Monkswood Reservoir, built in 1896 and now owned by Wessex Water, is situated in the valley of the SSSI.[2][3] The SSSI is woodland and grassland on the sloping land north and south of the reservoir and its tributary.[1]

The woodlands contain Fraxinus excelsiorAcer campestreMercurialis perennis (Ash–field Maple–Dog's Mercury) areas,[4] which has limited distribution in Great Britain.[1]

The SSSI has four areas: Monk Woods, Hunterwick Wood & Hartley Wood, Frys Farm and Valley.[5] St. Catherine's Valley SSSI is immediately to the north-east.[6]

The GloucestershireSomerset border runs through the reservoir and SSSI. The SSSI is adjacent to the Limestone Link long-distance footpath.

  1. ^ a b c "Monkswood Valley (SSSI)" (PDF). English Nature. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2006.
  2. ^ F. P. Sissons (April 1936). "Some Problems of Water Supply". Journal of the Royal Sanitary Institute. LVI (10). doi:10.1177/146642403505601001. S2CID 221040108. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  3. ^ Reservoir Safety and the Environment: Proceedings of the Eighth Conference of the British Dam Society Held at the University of Exeter, 14-17 September 1994. Thomas Telford. 1994. pp. 74–79. ISBN 9780727720108. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  4. ^ "British Fraxinus - Acer campestre - Mercurialis perennis forests". European Environment Agency. 2019. EUNIS habitat type G1.A22. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Monkswood Valley SSSI - Unit list". Natural England. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Monkswood Valley SSSI". MAGIC. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Retrieved 20 November 2020.