List of local nature reserves in West Sussex facts for kids

Pagham Harbour

Local nature reserves (LNRs) are designated by local authorities under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The local authority must have a legal control over the site, by owning or leasing it or having an agreement with the owner. LNRs are sites which have a special local interest either biologically or geologically, and local authorities have a duty to care for them. They can apply local bye-laws to manage and protect LNRs.

As of March 2019, there are twenty-seven LNRs in West Sussex. Nine are Sites of Special Scientific Interest, six are Nature Conservation Review sites, four are Ramsar sites, two are Special Areas of Conservation, four are Special Protection Areas, one includes a scheduled monument and two are managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

West Sussex is in south-east England and it has a population of approximately 780,000. The county town is Chichester. In the north of the county are the heavy clays and sands of the Weald. The chalk of the South Downs runs across the centre from east to west and in the south a coastal plain runs down to the English Channel.

Key

Sites

Site	Photograph	Area	Location	Borough	Other classifications	Map	Details	Access	Description
Ardingly Reservoir		74.5 hectares (184 acres)	Haywards Heath 51°02′56″N 0°06′18″W / 51.049°N 0.105°W / 51.049; -0.105 (Ardingly Reservoir)	Mid Sussex		Map	Details	Yes	The reservoir has open water, hay meadow, deciduous woodland, hazel coppice, reedbeds and wetland. There are sandstone outcrops which support uncommon ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens. Nesting birds include great crested grebes and kingfishers.
Ashenground and Bolnore Woods		14.4 hectares (36 acres)	Haywards Heath 50°59′24″N 0°06′58″W / 50.990°N 0.116°W / 50.990; -0.116 (Ashenground and Bolnore Woods)	Mid Sussex		Map	Details	Yes	These woods have oak, beech and field maple, together with old coppice hornbeam, ash and hazel. Fauna include bats, woodpeckers and owls.
Bedelands Farm Nature Reserve		36.2 hectares (89 acres)	Burgess Hill 50°58′19″N 0°07′23″W / 50.972°N 0.123°W / 50.972; -0.123 (Bedelands Farm Nature Reserve)	Mid Sussex		Map	Details	Yes	The farm has woodland, wildflower meadows, grazed meadows, wetland and ancient hedgerows. The woodland has ancient hornbeams and wild service trees, while wildflowers include the yellow rattle.
Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow		28.9 hectares (71 acres)	Haywards Heath 51°00′14″N 0°07′26″W / 51.004°N 0.124°W / 51.004; -0.124 (Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow)	Mid Sussex		Map	Details	Yes	This site has diverse habitats with a pond, wetland, hedgerows, grassland, birch woodland, hazel coppice, mixed coppice and bluebell woodland.
Brandy Hole Copse		6.5 hectares (16 acres)	Chichester 50°51′07″N 0°47′28″W / 50.852°N 0.791°W / 50.852; -0.791 (Brandy Hole Copse)	Chichester	SM	Map	Details	Yes	This site has broadleaved and coniferous woodland, open water, marshland, heath, tall fern and herbs. Fauna includes pipistrelle bats.
Brooks Local Nature Reserve, TheThe Brooks Local Nature Reserve		19.1 hectares (47 acres)	Bognor Regis 50°48′18″N 0°40′34″W / 50.805°N 0.676°W / 50.805; -0.676 (The Brooks (Bersted Brooks))	Arun		Map	Details	Yes	The Brooks has extensive grassland, reedbeds, ponds and newly planted woodland. One area has been turned into a dog-free wildlife sanctuary for ground-nesting birds. The site is flooded every winter, which makes it a good habitat for wetland flora and fauna.
Burton and Chingford Ponds		63.0 hectares (156 acres)	Petworth 50°56′56″N 0°36′43″W / 50.949°N 0.612°W / 50.949; -0.612 (Burton and Chingford Ponds)	Chichester	SSSI SWT	Map	Details	Yes	This site has ponds, carr woodland, bog, wet heath and marshy grassland. There is a diverse range of invertebrates including three nationally rare species, the snail Omphiscola glabra and the craneflies Erioptera meijerei and Tipula marginata. The site is also important for its breeding water birds, such as water rails and great crested grebes.
Eames Farm		132.5 hectares (327 acres)	Southbourne 50°49′59″N 0°55′34″W / 50.833°N 0.926°W / 50.833; -0.926 (Eames Farm)	Chichester	NCR Ramsar SPA SSSI	Map	Details	No	This area of grazing marsh, wetland and reedbed is managed as an organic farm. It has many rare plants and insects and a diverse variety of migrating waders and wildfowl.
Eastern Road Nature Reserve		3.5 hectares (8.6 acres)	Haywards Heath 51°00′36″N 0°04′23″W / 51.010°N 0.073°W / 51.010; -0.073 (Eastern Road Nature Reserve)	Mid Sussex		Map	Details	Yes	The reserve has rough grassland, wetland, woodland and scrub. There are aquatic insects such as dragonflies and other invertebrates include frogs and newts.
Fairmile Bottom		61.3 hectares (151 acres)	Arundel 50°52′34″N 0°35′46″W / 50.876°N 0.596°W / 50.876; -0.596 (Fairmile Bottom)	Arun	SSSI	Map	Details	Yes	This site has wildflower meadows on chalk and woodland with groves of yew trees. There is an outstanding variety of beetles and many moths and butterflies.
Grattons Park		7.7 hectares (19 acres)	Crawley 51°07′37″N 0°09′32″W / 51.127°N 0.159°W / 51.127; -0.159 (Grattons Park)	Crawley		Map	Details	Yes	Gatwick Stream runs through this park and other habitats are broadleaved woodland and grassland. Flora include lesser celandine and wild daffodils, while there are birds such as tree creepers, great spotted woodpecker and long-tailed tits.
Harting Down		206.6 hectares (511 acres)	Harting 50°57′22″N 0°51′50″W / 50.956°N 0.864°W / 50.956; -0.864 (Harting Down)	Chichester	NCR SSSI	Map	Details	Yes	This sloping site on the South Downs has grassland with scattered woodland and scrub. There are grizzled skipper butterflies, blue carpenter bees and cheese snails.
Iping Common (Stedham with Iping)		118.2 hectares (292 acres)	Midhurst 50°59′24″N 0°47′31″W / 50.990°N 0.792°W / 50.990; -0.792 (Iping Common)	Chichester	NCR SSSI SWT	Map	Details	Yes	This is described by Natural England as one of the richest areas of heath in the county. Most of it is dry but there are also areas of wet heath, two ponds, woodland, scrub and grassland. It has a rich invertebrate fauna and breeding heathland birds include nightjars and stonechats.
Lancing Ring		29.4 hectares (73 acres)	Lancing 50°50′35″N 0°19′23″W / 50.843°N 0.323°W / 50.843; -0.323 (Lancing Ring)	Adur		Map	Details	Yes	This chalk grassland site has adders and lizards. There is also woodland with flowers including early purple orchids and dewponds which have many newts.
Lynchmere Commons		122.0 hectares (301 acres)	Linchmere 51°04′19″N 0°46′05″W / 51.072°N 0.768°W / 51.072; -0.768 (Lynchmere Commons)	Chichester		Map	Details	Yes	This heathland site is composed of Stanley, Lynchmere and Marley Commons. They have diverse insect species and unusual plants such as bilberries.
Mill Hill		13.5 hectares (33 acres)	Shoreham-by-Sea 50°51′11″N 0°16′52″W / 50.853°N 0.281°W / 50.853; -0.281 (Mill Hill)	Adur		Map	Details	Yes	This site has chalk grassland, scrub and secondary woodland. It is one of the best areas in Sussex for butterflies, with 29 species recorded, including the Adonis blue. More than 160 species of flowering plant have been recorded, such as horseshoe vetch.
Nutborne Marshes		386.9 hectares (956 acres)	Thorney Island 50°49′19″N 0°54′00″W / 50.822°N 0.900°W / 50.822; -0.900 (Nutborne Marshes)	Chichester	NCR Ramsar SAC SPA SSSI	Map	Details	No	This is an area of intertidal and subtidal saltmarsh and mudflats. There are many invertebrates on the mudflats such as ragworms and the banks have unusual plants including sea wormwood. Migrating birds include curlews, grey plovers and dunlins.
Pagham Harbour		599.1 hectares (1,480 acres)	Bognor Regis 50°45′58″N 0°45′58″W / 50.766°N 0.766°W / 50.766; -0.766 (Pagham Harbour)	Arun	NCR Ramsar SPA SSSI	Map	Details	PP	This is a large area of salt marsh, mud flats, shingle, open water, reed swamp and wet grassland. It is of national importance for breeding birds and wintering wildfowl and waders. It also has nationally important communities of plants and invertebrates, including the nationally endangered sea anemone Nematostella vectensis.
Pilsey Island		17.8 hectares (44 acres)	Thorney Island 50°48′04″N 0°54′32″W / 50.801°N 0.909°W / 50.801; -0.909 (Pilsey Island)	Chichester	NCR Ramsar SAC SPA SSSI	Map	Details	No	The island has sand dunes, mudflats, salt marsh and bare and vegetated shingle. There are many plants, spiders and insects.
Scrase Valley		8.0 hectares (20 acres)	Haywards Heath 51°00′14″N 0°05′10″W / 51.004°N 0.086°W / 51.004; -0.086 (Scrase Valley)	Mid Sussex		Map	Details	Yes	This site has grassland, woodland and marsh. There are a number of unusual plants, such as purple toothwort, marsh cinquefoil, meadow thistle and marsh speedwell. The Friends of The Scrase Valley have planted three black poplar trees, which is a nationally rare species.
Shoreham Beach		26.2 hectares (65 acres)	Shoreham-by-Sea 50°49′34″N 0°16′16″W / 50.826°N 0.271°W / 50.826; -0.271 (Shoreham Beach)	Adur		Map	Details	Yes	The beach has vegetated shingle, which is an internationally rare habitat, with flora including yellow horned poppy, sea kale and curled dock.
Target Hill Park		9.0 hectares (22 acres)	Crawley 51°05′49″N 0°13′05″W / 51.097°N 0.218°W / 51.097; -0.218 (Target Hill Park)	Crawley		Map	Details	Yes	The diverse habitats in this park include ponds, wetlands, woodlands, meadows and scrub. There are reptiles such as slow-worms, adders and common lizards, while butterflies include skippers, meadow brown, small heaths and ringlets.
Tilgate Forest		6.9 hectares (17 acres)	Crawley 51°06′07″N 0°09′47″W / 51.102°N 0.163°W / 51.102; -0.163 (Tilgate Forest)	Crawley		Map	Details	Yes	This site has woods, tall herb and fern, and heathland. The most common trees in areas of natural woodland are birch, oak and hazel, while plantations are mainly Scots pine, red oak, western hemlock and beech.
Tottington Wood		5.1 hectares (13 acres)	Henfield 50°54′00″N 0°16′19″W / 50.900°N 0.272°W / 50.900; -0.272 (Tottington Wood)	Horsham		Map	Details	Yes	This semi-ancient wood is recorded back to 1600 and it has an oak tree which is over 250 years old. Mammals include roe deer and bats and there are birds such as woodpeckers and blue tits.
Warnham		38.4 hectares (95 acres)	Horsham 51°04′55″N 0°19′48″W / 51.082°N 0.330°W / 51.082; -0.330 (Warnha)	Horsham		Map	Details	Yes	The principal feature of the site is the 7-hectare (17-acre) Warnham Millpond, together with its islands and marginal vegetation. Boldings Brook runs through the site and in the winter it floods areas of wet grassland and willow carr. Invertebrates include 523 species of moths and 366 plant species have been recorded.
West Beach		15.7 hectares (39 acres)	Littlehampton 50°46′48″N 0°32′49″W / 50.780°N 0.547°W / 50.780; -0.547 (West Beach)	Arun	SSSI	Map	Details	Yes	This stretch of shoreline has sand dunes at the back with a vegetated shingle beach, which is a nationally uncommon habitat, in front. The intertidal zone has soft muds and sands with many invertebrates, which are an important source of food for wintering birds, especially sanderling.
Widewater Lagoon		8.8 hectares (22 acres)	Lancing 50°49′26″N 0°17′56″W / 50.824°N 0.299°W / 50.824; -0.299 (Widewater Lagoon)	Adur		Map	Details	Yes	This coastal lagoon is separated from Lancing Beach by a man-made shingle bank. The water is brackish and there are wildfowl such as herons and swans.