Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods

{{Short description|Nature preserve in West Sussex, England}}{{Infobox SSSI

|image= Sandstone crag, Tilgate Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1757821.jpg

|image_caption = Sandstone crag in Tilgate Wood

|name= Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods

|aos= West Sussex

|interest=Biological
Geological

|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|TQ 336 321}}

|area= {{convert|155.9|ha|acre|abbr=off}}

|notifydate= 1987

|map=[https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271001409%27 Magic Map]

}}

Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods is a {{convert| 155.9 |ha|acre|abbr=off |adj=on }} biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-east of Crawley in West Sussex, England.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1001409&SiteName=&countyCode=46&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate = 23 May 2019}}{{cite web|url= https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271001409%27|title=Map of Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate= 23 May 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=48 |authorlink=Derek Ratcliffe |publisher= Cambridge University Press|location =Cambridge, UK |year=1977|isbn= 0521-21403-3 }} and part of it is a Geological Conservation Review site.{{cite web|url= http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4174&gcr=781 |title= Chiddingly Wood (Quaternary of South-East England) |series=Geological Conservation Review |publisher=Joint Nature Conservation Committee|accessdate= 6 April 2019}}

These woods have steep sided valleys formed by streams cutting through Wadhurst Clay and Tunbridge Wells sands, exposing outcrops of sandstone. The valleys have a warm, moist micro-climate, with a rich variety of ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens. There is a diverse breeding bird community. Chiddingly Wood is geologically important because weathering of its sandstone has produced sculptured blocks and a comprehensive set of micro-weathering features.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1001409.pdf |title=Wakehurst and Chiddingly Woods citation|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate= 23 May 2019}}