Kingley Vale NNR
Encyclopedia
The Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve is a National Nature Reserve
(NNR) near Chichester
, West Sussex
in southern England
, and is part of the South Downs
. It covers an area of 160 hectares. It is part of the wider Site of Special Scientific Interest
Kingley Vale.
The site is managed by Natural England
. It has an information centre and a nature trail. There is a large area of grass downland and shrub land with a number of old yew trees. From the top there are outstanding views over Sussex and the south coast.
There are a number of walks and bridleways around the NNR with the main being around the woodland and yew trees and up to the top of the hills.
The nearest car park is at West Stoke about five miles northwest of Chichester, and there are footpaths leading up from the village of Stoughton
.
. Their survival is remarkable because most ancient yew trees across Europe were felled prior to the 14th Century, being the preferred material for the staves of English longbow
s.
Besides the yew forest, one can find oak, ash, holly and hawthorn. The chalk grassland is home to a great number of flowers and herbs that form a diverse and intricate mosaic of species. Over 50 species of birds are found, although only six species breed in the yew woodland. Mammals include deer, yellow-necked mouse, water shrew and dormouse. The 39 species of butterfly at Kingley Vale are mainly found in the grassland.
, Iron Age
settlement site known as Goosehill Camp
, the Devil's Humps
Bronze Age
round barrows and prehistoric flint
mines. Further to these sites there are a number of unidentifed archaeological remains in the form of linear earthworks, a rectangular enclosure known as Bow Hill Camp and evidence of settlement at the base of the hill.
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
(NNR) near Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
in southern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and is part of the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
. It covers an area of 160 hectares. It is part of the wider Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
Kingley Vale.
The site is managed by Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government 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 has an information centre and a nature trail. There is a large area of grass downland and shrub land with a number of old yew trees. From the top there are outstanding views over Sussex and the south coast.
There are a number of walks and bridleways around the NNR with the main being around the woodland and yew trees and up to the top of the hills.
The nearest car park is at West Stoke about five miles northwest of Chichester, and there are footpaths leading up from the village of Stoughton
Stoughton, West Sussex
Stoughton is a village and civil parish in the District of Chichester in West Sussex, England located nine kilometres north west of Chichester east of the B2146 road, on a lane leading to East Marden....
.
Natural Phenomena
Kingley Vale is home to one of Europe's most impressive yew forests. The forest contains yews as much as 2,000 years old. They comprise some of the oldest living organisms in Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Their survival is remarkable because most ancient yew trees across Europe were felled prior to the 14th Century, being the preferred material for the staves of English longbow
English longbow
The English longbow, also called the Welsh longbow, is a powerful type of medieval longbow about 6 ft long used by the English and Welsh for hunting and as a weapon in medieval warfare...
s.
Besides the yew forest, one can find oak, ash, holly and hawthorn. The chalk grassland is home to a great number of flowers and herbs that form a diverse and intricate mosaic of species. Over 50 species of birds are found, although only six species breed in the yew woodland. Mammals include deer, yellow-necked mouse, water shrew and dormouse. The 39 species of butterfly at Kingley Vale are mainly found in the grassland.
Heritage Sites
Kingley Vale has a rich and diverse heritage with remains of a Roman TempleRoman temple
Ancient Roman temples are among the most visible archaeological remains of Roman culture, and are a significant source for Roman architecture. Their construction and maintenance was a major part of ancient Roman religion. The main room housed the cult image of the deity to whom the temple was...
, Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
settlement site known as Goosehill Camp
Goosehill Camp
Goosehill Camp is a prehistoric earthwork that dates back to the Iron Age. It consists of two concentric banks and ditches. The inner enclosure has one entrance and surround two levelled hut sites. Goosehill Camp is within the Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve, on the South...
, the Devil's Humps
Devil's Humps, Stoughton
The Devil's Humps are four Bronze Age barrows situated on Bow Hill on the South Downs near Stoughton, West Sussex. They are situated on a downland ridgeway crossed by an ancient trackway, above Kingley Vale. The Devil's Humps are counted among the most impressive round barrows surviving on the...
Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
round barrows and prehistoric flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
mines. Further to these sites there are a number of unidentifed archaeological remains in the form of linear earthworks, a rectangular enclosure known as Bow Hill Camp and evidence of settlement at the base of the hill.
External links
- Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve
- Richard Williamson, The Great Yew Forest. The Natural History of Kingley Vale, London, Macmillan, 1978. ISBN 0-333-22739-5