Pevensey Levels

{{Short description|Site of Special Scientific Interest in East Sussex}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox SSSI

|image= Pevensey Haven in May, East Sussex - geograph.org.uk - 1476910.jpg

|image_caption =

|name= Pevensey Levels

|aos= East Sussex

|interest=Biological

|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|TQ 647 076}}

|area= {{convert|3,603.2|ha|acre|abbr=off}}

|notifydate= 1990

|map=[https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271000914%27 Magic Map]

}}

Pevensey Levels is a {{convert| 3,603.2 |ha|acre|abbr=off|adj=on}} biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Bexhill-on-Sea and Hailsham in East Sussex.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1000914&SiteName=&countyCode=14&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Pevensey Levels | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 19 January 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271000914%27 |title=Map of Pevensey Levels|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= 19 January 2019}} It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I,{{cite book|editor-first=Derek |editor-last=Ratcliffe |title=A Nature Conservation Review|volume=2 |page=166 |publisher= Cambridge University Press|location =Cambridge, UK |year=1977|isbn= 0521 21403 3 }} a Ramsar site{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=UK11053&SiteName=&countyCode=14&responsiblePerson=&unitId=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Pevensey Levels | series= Ramsar Site|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 10 January 2019}} and a Special Area of Conservation.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=UK0030367&SiteName=&countyCode=14&responsiblePerson=&unitId=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Pevensey Levels | series= Special Areas of Conservation|publisher=Natural England|access-date =10 January 2019}} An area of {{convert|183.5|ha|acre|abbr=off}} is a national nature reserve{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=1006119&SiteName=Pevensey&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Pevensey Levels | series= National Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England|access-date =10 January 2019}} and an area of {{convert|150|ha|acre|abbr=off}} is a nature reserve called Pevensey Marshes which is managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust.{{cite web|url= https://sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/visit/pevensey-marshes |title= Pevensey Marshes |publisher= Sussex Wildlife Trust |access-date= 10 January 2019}}

This is a large area of wetland grazing meadows intersected by a network of ditches. It has many nationally rare invertebrates. It may be the best site in Britain for freshwater mollusc fauna, including the endangered shining ram's-horn snail. It also has one nationally rare and several nationally scarce aquatic plants and it is of national importance for lapwing, with more than 1% of the British population.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1000914.pdf |title= Pevensey Levels citation|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= 19 January 2019}}