Butterby Oxbow
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Butterby Oxbow | |
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![]() Oxbow lake at Low Butterby | |
Location | MAGiC MaP |
Nearest city | City of Durham |
Coordinates | 54°44′44″N 1°34′25″W / 54.74556°N 1.57361°WCoordinates: 54°44′44″N 1°34′25″W / 54.74556°N 1.57361°W |
Area | 7.29 ha (18.0 acres) |
Established | 1957 |
Governing body | Natural England |
Website | Butterby Oxbow SSSI |
Butterby Oxbow is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Durham City district of County Durham, England. It consists of a former meander of the River Wear which was isolated from the main river in 1811 when, to reduce flooding in the area, a new channel was constructed across the neck of the meander.[1] It is located about 3 km south of the centre of Durham and 1.2 km north of the nearest village, Croxdale.
The site is notable for the succession series of swamp, fen and fen-carr which has developed and which is rarely found as a complete sequence in the county. It is locally important as a roosting and wintering area for wildfowl. [2]
References
- ^ Griffiths, Benjamin M (February 1932). "The Ecology of Butterby Marsh, Durham". Journal of Ecology. 20 (1): 105–127. doi:10.2307/2255969. JSTOR 2255969.
- ^ "Butterby Oxbow SSSI : Reasons for designating the SSSI status" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 1 March 2022.