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Special Areas of Conservation

Thursley, Ash, Pirbright and Chobham

Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Country England
Unitary Authority Surrey, East and West Sussex
Centroid* SU914411
Latitude 51.16166667
Longitude -0.693055556
SAC EU Code UK0012793
Status Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Area (ha) 5154.5
* This is the approximate central point of the SAC. In the case of large, linear or composite sites, this may not represent the location where a feature occurs within the SAC.
Location of Thursley, Ash, Pirbright and Chobham SAC

General site character

  • Inland water bodies (Standing water, Running water) (5%)
  • Bogs, Marshes, Water fringed vegetation, Fens (10%)
  • Heath, Scrub, Maquis and Garrigue, Phygrana (75%)
  • Coniferous woodland (10%)

Download the Standard Data Form for this site (PDF <100kb)

Note When undertaking an appropriate assessment of impacts at a site, all features of European importance (both primary and non-primary) need to be considered.

Annex I habitats that are a primary reason for selection of this site

  • 4010 Northern Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix

    This site represents lowland northern Atlantic wet heaths in south-east England. The wet heath at Thursley is NVC type M16 Erica tetralix – Sphagnum compactum and contains several rare plants, including great sundew Drosera anglica, bog hair-grass Deschampsia setacea, bog orchid Hammarbya paludosa and brown beak-sedge Rhynchospora fusca. There are transitions to valley bog and dry heath. Thursley Common is an important site for invertebrates, including the nationally rare white-faced darter Leuccorhinia dubia.

  • 4030 European dry heaths

    This south-east England site contains a series of large fragments of once-continuous heathland. It is selected as a key representative of NVC type H2 Calluna vulgaris – Ulex minor dry heathland. This heath type has a marked south-eastern and southern distribution. There are transitions to wet heath and valley mire, scrub, woodland and acid grassland, including types rich in annual plants. The European dry heaths support an important assemblage of animal species, including numerous rare and local invertebrate species, European nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus, Dartford warbler Sylvia undata, sand lizard Lacerta agilis and smooth snake Coronella austriaca.

  • 7150 Depressions on peat substrates of the Rhynchosporion

    This site contains examples of Depressions on peat substrates of the Rhynchosporion in south-east England, where it occurs as part of a mosaic associated with valley bog and wet heath. The vegetation is found in natural bog pools of patterned valley mire and in disturbed peat of trackways and former peat-cuttings.

Annex I habitats present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for selection of this site

  • Not Applicable

Annex II species that are a primary reason for selection of this site

  • Not Applicable

Annex II species present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for site selection

  • Not Applicable

Many designated sites are on private land: the listing of a site in these pages does not imply any right of public access.