| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 | |
  Location within Somerset | |
| Location | Somerset |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | ST385555 to (grid reference ST430560) |
| Coordinates | 51°17′43″N 2°52′53″W / 51.2952°N 2.8814°W |
| Interest | Biological and Geological |
| Area | 332.2 hectares (3.322 km2; 1.283 sq mi) |
| Notification | 1952 |
| Natural England website | |
Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill is a 332.2 hectare (820.9 acre) geological and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the western end of the Mendip Hills, Somerset. The line of hills runs for approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from west to east and includes: Crook Peak, Compton Hill, Wavering Down, Cross Plain and Shute Shelve Hill. Most of the site is owned by the National Trust, which bought 725 acres (293 ha) in 1985,[1] and much of it has been designated as common land.[2] It was notified as an SSSI by Natural England in 1952.
The ecology of the area includes ancient woodland and calcareous grassland which supports nationally rare species including the Cheddar pink. The underlying rocks are Carboniferous Limestone containing phreatic caves at Shute Shelve Cavern and Picken's Hole from which fossils dating from the Middle Devensian have been recovered.
- ^ "Trust fundraising push reached new heights". Western Daily Press. 9 September 2010. Archived from the original on 26 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
- ^ "Crooks Peak and Compton Bishop Hill". Common Land in England. Retrieved 26 April 2015.