This is a list of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) on the Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...

, 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...

. The Isle of Wight is an island and county

Counties of England

Counties of England are areas used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. For administrative purposes, England outside Greater London and the Isles of Scilly is divided into 83 counties. The counties may consist of a single district or be divided into several...

 three miles off the south coast of England in the English Channel

English Channel

The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...

. Its geology is complex, with a chalk downland ridge running east to west through its centre and important fossil beds from the Lower Cretaceous to the Lower Tertiary around the coast. This geology gives rise to many distinct habitats, with strong maritime influences, including chalk grassland, neutral meadows

Meadow

A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...

, and broad-leaved woodland

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests

Mixed forests are a temperate and humid biome. The typical structure of these forests includes four layers. The uppermost layer is the canopy composed of tall mature trees ranging from 33 to 66 m high. Below the canopy is the three-layered, shade-tolerant understory that is roughly 9 to...

. The Isle of Wight has a population of 140,000, making it one of the country's smaller counties in terms of population.

In England, the body responsible for designating SSSIs is 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...

, which chooses a site because of its fauna

Fauna

Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...

, flora

Plant

Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...

, geological

Geology

Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...

 or physiographical features. Natural England took over the role of designating and managing SSSIs from English Nature

English Nature

English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006...

 in October 2006, when it was formed from the amalgamation of English Nature, parts of the Countryside Agency

Countryside Agency

The Countryside Agency in England was a statutory body set up in 1999 with the task of improving the quality of the rural environment and the lives of those living in it. The Agency was formed by merging the Countryside Commission and the Rural Development Commission...

, and the Rural Development Service

Rural Development Service

The Rural Development Service was formerly part of the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs . It ceased to exist on 1 October 2006 following the creation of Natural England.- History :...

. , there are 41 sites designated in this Area of Search

Area of Search

Areas of Search are geographical areas used in the selection of Sites of Special Scientific Interest. In England these are largely based on the 1974–1996 administrative counties...

; of these, 26 have been designated for their biological interest, four for their geological interest, and 11 for both.

The data in the table is taken from citation sheets for each SSSI, available at their website.

Sites

Site name	Reason for designation		Area		Grid reference	Year in which notified	Map
	Biological interest	Geological interest	Hectares	Acres
Alverstone Marshes Alverstone Marshes Alverstone Marshes is a 83.8 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the Isle of Wight, notified in 1951.The Alverstone Marshes are the site of a wetland restoration project by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds....			83.8	207.0		1951	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1004250,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
America Wood America Wood America Wood is a 21.4 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the Isle of Wight, notified in 1986. Legend is that It derives its name due to oak trees grown here to build ships in the American War of Independence However, the name Americas Wood appears on Andrews Map of the...			21.4	52.9		1986	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000687,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Arreton Down Arreton Down Arreton Down is a 29.77 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the Isle of Wight, originally notified in 1979 for its geological interest and then renotified in 1987, but for its biological interest only....			29.8	73.6		1979	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1004284,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Bembridge Down Bembridge Down Bembridge Down is a 56.3 hectare Site of special scientific interest which is north-east of Sandown. The site was notified in 1951 for both its biological and geological features.-Yarborough Monument:...			56.3	139.0		1951	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1004298,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Bembridge School And Cliffs Bembridge School And Cliffs SSSI Bembridge School And Cliffs SSSI is a 12.58 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Bembridge on the Isle of Wight, notified in 1999.It is listed in the Geological Conservation Review....			12.6	31.1		1999	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=2000390,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Bonchurch Landslips Bonchurch Landslips Bonchurch Landslips is a 28.2 hectare site of special scientific interest which is located north-east of Ventnor. The site was notified in 1977 for both its biological and geological features.-References:*...			28.2	69.7		1977	6
Bouldnor And Hamstead Cliffs Bouldnor And Hamstead Cliffs Bouldnor And Hamstead Cliffs is a 95.7 hectare Site of special scientific interest which is located north-east of Yarmouth. The site was notified in 1951 for both its biological and geological features.-References:*...			95.7	236.4		1951	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1004338,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Brading Marshes to St. Helen's Ledges Brading Marshes to St. Helen's Ledges SSSI Brading Marshes to St. Helen's Ledges is a 488.5 hectare Site of special scientific interest which stretches from Brading along the Yar valley between Bembridge and St Helens, Isle of Wight through to the sea at Priory Bay on the north east coast of the Isle of Wight...			488.5	1207.0		1951	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=2000221,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Briddlesford Copses Briddlesford Copses Briddleford Copses is a 167.2 hectare Site of special scientific interest which is south of Wootton Bridge. The site was notified in 2003 for its biological features. Briddlesford Manor is nearby.-References:*...			167.2	413.2		2003	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000554,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Calbourne Down			15.4	38.1		1989	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1001068,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Colwell Bay Colwell Bay Colwell Bay is a bay in the west of the Isle of Wight. It is located between the towns of Totland and Yarmouth. The bay's northernmost point is Cliff's End the closest point of the Island to the British mainland, with Hurst Castle lying at the end of a long peninsula just 1500 metres to the...			13.6	34.2		1959	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1004379,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Compton Chine to Steephill Cove Compton Chine to Steephill Cove SSSI Compton Chine to Steephill Cove is a 629.2 hectare Site of special scientific interest which extends from Compton Chine on the south-west coast of the Isle of Wight along the coast, round St. Catherine's Point to Steephill Cove, just west of Ventnor on the south-east coast of the IOW. This is the...			629.2	1554.8		2003	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=2000471,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Compton Down Compton Down Compton Down is a hill on the Isle of Wight just to the east of Freshwater Bay. It is part of the chalk ridge which forms the "backbone" of the Isle of Wight. It runs east to west, is approximately 3 miles long and is predominantly grass downland...			196.3	484.9		1951	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1004388,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Cranmore Cranmore, Isle of Wight Cranmore is a village on the Isle of Wight. It is located about three miles east of Yarmouth, in the northwest of the island.Transport is provided by Southern Vectis bus route 7, serving Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport including intermediate towns....			12.4	30.7		2002	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=2000456,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Cridmore Bog Cridmore Bog Cridmore Bog is a 14.4 hectare Site of special scientific interest which is west of Godshill. The site was notified in 1985 for its biological features. It is adjacent to "The Wilderness", another SSSI in this area of the Isle of Wight-References:*...			14.4	35.6		1985	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000761,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Eaglehead and Bloodstone Copses Eaglehead and Bloodstone Copses Eaglehead and Bloodstone Copses is a 10.3 hectare Site of special scientific interest which is south of Ashey on the Isle of Wight. The site was notified in 1987 for its biological value....			10.3	25.5		1987	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000622,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Freshwater Marshes			23.3	57.6		1951	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1004406,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Garston's Down Garston's Down Garston's Down is a 20.3 hectare Site of special scientific interest which is south of Carisbrooke. The site was notified in 1971 for its biological features.-References:*...			20.3	50.2		1971	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1004409,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Greatwood And Cliff Copses Greatwood And Cliff Copses SSSI Greatwood And Cliff Copses are two wooded areas totalling 16.3 hectares which are a Site of special scientific interest to the south west of Shanklin. The site was notified in 1986 for its biological features.-References:*...			16.3	40.3	–	1986	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000653,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Headon Warren And West High Down Headon Warren And West High Down SSSI Headon Warren And West High Down is a 276.3 hectare Site of special scientific interest which is located at the western most end of the Isle of Wight. It consists of two main areas, Headon Warren, a heather clad down to the north and the chalk downs of West High Down and Tennyson Down to the south....			276.3	682.6		1951	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000546,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
King's Quay Shore			97.2	240.1		1951	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000559,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Lacey's Farm Quarry Lacey's Farm Quarry Lacey's Farm Quarry is a 1,300 square metre geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the town of Freshwater, Isle of Wight, notified in 1993.-Source:* -External links:*...			0.1	0.3		1993	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1001376,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Lake Allotments			0.2	0.5		1988	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1002155,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Locks Farm Meadow Locks Farm Meadow Locks Farm Meadow is a 2.3 hectare Site of special scientific interest which just east of Porchfield, England. The site was notified in 1988 for its biological features.-References:*...			2.3	5.7		1988	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1001136,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Medina Estuary River Medina The River Medina is the main river of the Isle of Wight, rising at St Catherine's Down in the south of the Island and through the capital Newport, towards the Solent at Cowes. The river is a navigable tidal estuary from Newport northwards where it takes the form of a ria . The Medina is 17km long...			100.5	248.3		1977	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000578,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Mottistone Down			31.4	77.6		1971	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000591,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Newtown Harbour Newtown River Newtown River is a large natural inland harbour located on the Isle of Wight's northwestern coast. It is sometimes also referred to as Newtown Creek....			619.3	1530.3		1951	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1004233,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Northpark Copse Northpark Copse Northpark Copse is a 9.9 hectare Site of special scientific interest which is east of Shalfleet. The site was notified in 1986 for its biological features.-References:*...			9.9	24.5		1986	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000716,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Parkhurst Forest Parkhurst Forest Parkhurst Forest is a woodland to the north-west of Newport, Isle of Wight .The site is partly a site of special scientific interest. It consists of both ancient woodland, relict heathland and plantation woodland. The woodland is freehold owned and managed by the Forestry Commission. It is 395...			183.5	453.3		1986	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000584,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Priory Woods Priory Woods Priory Woods is a 2.94 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the town of Bembridge, Isle of Wight, notified in 1998. It is a National Trust property and is served by a public footpath. Concealed within it is "The Priory Oyster" - an oyster bar attached to the Priory Bay Hotel...			2.9	7.3		1998	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=2000346,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Prospect Quarry Prospect Quarry Prospect Quarry is a 4.3 hectare Site of special scientific interest which is located north-west of the village of Shalcombe located close to the south-west coast of the Isle of Wight. The site was notified in 1971 for both its biological and geological features.-References:*...			4.3	10.6		1971	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000607,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Rew Down Rew Down Rew Down is a Local Nature Reserve located on the south east edge of the Isle of Wight in the hills to the west of Ventnor.The area is a chalk grassland sloping to the south and offering panaramic and far reaching views of the English Channel...			23.5	58.1		1977	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000623,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Rowridge Valley Rowridge Valley Rowridge Valley is a 39.8 hectare Site of special scientific interest which is 2km east of the village of Calbourne and just east of the Rowridge Transmitter mast. The site was notified in 1951 for its biological features.-References:*...			39.8	98.3		1951	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000631,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Ryde Sands and Wootton Creek Ryde Sands and Wootton Creek SSSI Ryde Sands and Wootton Creek is a 424.2 hectare Site of special scientific interest which stretches along the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight, from Wootton Bridge past Ryde and Seaview to Seagrove Bay. The majority of the area consists of intertidal sand and mud flats exposed at low water, a...			424.4	1048.7	–	1993	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=2000222,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Shide Quarry			4.8	11.8		1971	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000714,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
St Lawrence Bank			0.5	1.2		1998	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000701,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
The Wilderness The Wilderness SSSI, Isle of Wight The Wilderness is a 12.6 hectare Site of special scientific interest which is west of Godshill on the Isle of Wight. The site was notified in 1951 due to its status as one of the only surviving pieces of peatland vegetation that remain on the Isle of Wight, and the boundary was slightly modified in...			12.6	31.1		1951	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000825,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Thorness Bay Thorness Bay Thorness Bay is a 86.2 hectare Site of special scientific interest which is located on the north-west coast of the Isle of Wight, England, in the western arm of the Solent...			86.2	213.0		1966	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=2000022,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Ventnor Downs			162.6	401.8		1951	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000773,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Whitecliff Bay And Bembridge Ledges Whitecliff Bay And Bembridge Ledges SSSI Whitecliff Bay And Bembridge Ledges is a 131.6 hectare Site of special scientific interest which lies around the coastline of the eastern most part of the Isle of Wight from Bembridge harbour entrance, in the north, around Foreland and stretching to Whitecliff Bay to the south. The site was...			131.6	325.2		1955	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000806,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL
Yar Estuary Western Yar The River Yar on the Isle of Wight, England, rises near the beach at Freshwater Bay, on the south coast of the island and flows only a few miles north to Yarmouth, on the north coast, where it meets the Solent. Most of the river is a tidal estuary...			132.4	327.2		1977	http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000838,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL