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Special Areas of Conservation

North York Moors

Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Country England
Unitary Authority North Yorkshire, Tees Valley and Durham
Centroid* NZ711021
Latitude 54.40916667
Longitude -0.904166667
SAC EU Code UK0030228
Status Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Area (ha) 44053.29
* 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 North York Moors SAC

General site character

  • Inland water bodies (Standing water, Running water) (1%)
  • Bogs, Marshes, Water fringed vegetation, Fens (4%)
  • Heath, Scrub, Maquis and Garrigue, Phygrana (73%)
  • Dry grassland, Steppes (15%)
  • Humid grassland, Mesophile grassland (2%)
  • Broad-leaved deciduous woodland (2%)
  • Coniferous woodland (1%)
  • Mixed woodland (1%)
  • Other land (including Towns, Villages, Roads, Waste places, Mines, Industrial sites) (1%)

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 in north-east Yorkshire within the North York Moors National Park contains the largest continuous tract of upland heather moorland in England. M16 Erica tetralix – Sphagnum compactum wet heath is the second most extensive vegetation type on the site and is predominantly found on the eastern and northern moors where the soil is less free-draining. Purple moor-grass Molinia caerulea and heath rush Juncus squarrosus are also common within this community. In the wettest stands bog-mosses, including Sphagnum tenellum, occur, and the nationally scarce creeping forget-me-not Myosotis stolonifera can be found in acid moorland streams and shallow pools.

  • 4030 European dry heaths

    This site in north-east Yorkshire within the North York Moors National Park contains the largest continuous tract of upland heather moorland in England. Dry heath covers over half the site and forms the main vegetation type on the western, southern and central moors where the soil is free-draining and has only a thin peat layer. The principal NVC type present is H9 Calluna vulgaris – Deschampsia flexuosa, with some H10 Calluna vulgaris – Erica cinerea heath on well-drained areas throughout the site, and large areas of H12 Calluna vulgaris – Vaccinium myrtillus heath on steeper slopes.

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

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.