Deadman SSSI, Somerset

Deadman
Site of Special Scientific Interest
	Location within Somerset
Location	Somerset
Grid reference	ST234156
Coordinates	50°56′05″N 3°05′29″W / 50.93474°N 3.09147°W
Interest	Biological
Area	28.8 hectares (0.288 km2; 0.111 sq mi)
Notification	1987
	Natural England website

Deadman (grid reference ST234156) is a 28.8 hectare (71.2 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the edge of the Blackdown Hills, near Buckland St Mary 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Taunton in Somerset, notified in 1987.

Deadman is one of the best remaining examples of a mixed valley mire in Somerset. It contains a rich mosaic of wet heath, bog pools and birch/willow carr grading into acid marshy grassland. These communities support several species of plant which are rare in the county. Ground water issues from numerous springs within the greensand producing a locally raised water table and shallow peaty surface horizon. It is at these points that bog communities develop, characterised by the floating leaves of bog pondweed (Potamogeton polygonifolia), bog bean (Menyanthes trifoliata) and marsh St John's-wort (Hypericum elodes). In places this wet heath has undergone a transition to birch (Betula sp.) and willow (Salix sp.) carr. This provides an important habitat for breeding nightingales and grasshopper warblers.^[1]

References

^ "Deadman" (PDF). English Nature. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2006.

[1] "Deadman" (PDF). English Nature. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2006.

[1]

v t e Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset
Summarised data for all sites (biological and geological)
Aller and Beer Woods Aller Hill Asham Wood Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill Babcary Meadows Barle Valley Barrington Hill Meadows Berrow Dunes Black Down and Sampford Commons Brean Down Bridgwater Bay Briggins Moor Catcott, Edington and Chilton Moors Chancellor's Farm Cheddar Complex Cheddar Reservoir Cheddar Wood Cleeve Hill Cogley Wood Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill Curry and Hay Moors Deadman Draycott Sleights Dunster Park and Heathlands East Polden Grasslands Ebbor Gorge Edford Woods and Meadows Exmoor Coastal Heaths Fivehead Woods and Meadow Freshmoor Friar's Oven Ge-mare Farm Fields Great Breach and Copley Woods Grove Farm Hardington Moor Hestercombe House Holme Moor & Clean Moor King's Sedgemoor Kingdown and Middledown Kingweston Meadows Lang's Farm Langford Heathfield Langmead and Weston Level Long Lye Long Lye Meadow Longleat Woods Millwater Moorlinch Nettlecombe Park North Brewham Meadows North Curry Meadow North Exmoor North Moor Old Iron Works, Mells Perch Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh Postlebury Wood Priddy Pools Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood Quantock Hills Quants Ringdown River Barle Rodney Stoke Roebuck Meadows Ruttersleigh Severn Estuary Shapwick Heath Sharpham Moor Plot South Exmoor Southey and Gotleigh Moors Southlake Moor Sparkford Wood St. Dunstan's Well Catchment Stowell Meadow Street Heath Tealham and Tadham Moors Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands Twinhills Woods and Meadows Vallis Vale Walton and Ivythorn Hills West Moor West Sedgemoor Westhay Heath Westhay Moor Wet Moor Whitevine Meadows Windsor Hill Marsh Wookey Hole Woolhayes Farm
Neighbouring areas Avon Devon Dorset Wiltshire