Castle Bottom to Yateley and Hawley Commons

{{Short description|UK Site of Special Scientific Interest}}

{{Infobox SSSI

|image= Yateley Common - geograph.org.uk - 664659.jpg

|image_caption = Yateley Common

|name= Castle Bottom to Yateley and Hawley Commons

|aos= Hampshire

|interest=Biological

|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|SU 818 586}}

|area= {{convert|922.7|ha|acre|abbr=off}}

|notifydate= 1993

|map=[https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271006836%27 Magic Map]

}}

Castle Bottom to Yateley and Hawley Commons is a {{convert| 922.7 |ha|acre|abbr=off|adj=on}} biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Fleet in Hampshire.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1006836&SiteName=&countyCode=19&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Castle Bottom to Yateley and Hawley Commons| series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate = 8 May 2020}}{{cite web|url= https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271006836%27|title=Map of Castle Bottom to Yateley and Hawley Commons|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate= 8 May 2020}} It is part of Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area for the conservation of wild birds{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=UK9012141&SiteName=&countyCode=19&responsiblePerson=&unitId=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea=|title= Designated Sites View: Thames Basin Heaths | series= Special Protection Areas |publisher=Natural England|accessdate = 4 May 2020}} and an area of {{convert|30.8|ha|acre|abbr=off}} is designated a national nature reserve called Castle Bottom.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=1006028&SiteName=Castle+Bottom&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea=|title=Designated Sites View: Castle Bottom| series= National Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England|accessdate = 23 April 2020}}

This site of heathland and conifer plantation has an internationally important population of Dartford warbler and populations of two other protected birds, woodlark and nightjar. It also has an outstanding assemblage of dragonflies and damselflies, with 19 out of the 37 British species. Other invertebrates include the nationally rare conopid fly, Myopa fasciata.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1006836.pdf |title=Castle Bottom to Yateley and Hawley Commons citation|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate= 8 May 2020}}