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Special Areas of Conservation

Dover to Kingsdown Cliffs

Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Country England
Unitary Authority Kent
Centroid* TR372448
Latitude 51.14388889
Longitude 1.3825
SAC EU Code UK0030330
Status Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Area (ha) 184.54
* 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 Dover to Kingsdown Cliffs SAC

General site character

  • Shingle, Sea cliffs, Islets (50%)
  • Heath, Scrub, Maquis and Garrigue, Phygrana (10%)
  • Dry grassland, Steppes (39%)
  • 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

  • 1230 Vegetated sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic Coasts

    Dover to Kingsdown cliffs support a full zonation of maritime cliff communities found on chalk substrates, reflecting different levels of exposure to wind and salt spray. The most exposed, lowest parts of the cliff face support rock-crevice communities with rock samphire Crithmum maritimum, rock sea-lavender Limonium binervosum and thrift Armeria maritima, with the rare hoary stock Matthiola incana in places. On more sheltered slopes there is a community restricted to south-facing chalk cliffs characterised by wild cabbage Brassica oleracea. There are good paramaritime grassland transitions to chalk grassland. The endangered oxtongue broomrape Orobanche artemisiae-campestris, confined in the UK to unstable coastal chalk cliffs of southern England, has a stronghold on this site. The cliffs are internationally important as a stratigraphic reference site for chalk cliff exposures.

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.