Bagg’s Bottom, part of the Stonesfield Common, Bottoms and Banks SSSI in West Oxfordshire, is a rare chalk grassland ecosystem. With its complex topography, spring-fed slopes, ancient pollards, and upright brome-dominated grassland, it represents a landscape shaped by centuries of human interaction. It is now under increasing encroachment from blackthorn (sloe) succession. The site holds great importance for numerous butterfly species, bats, and chalk-specialist flora. The management of such landscapes must honour ecological complexity, cultural continuity, and future resilience.
A full report can be found here.
Baggs Bottom SSSI_Integrated Blackthorn Management Strategy.pdf