Therfield Heath

Therfield Heath
Site of Special Scientific Interest
The open country of the Heath
Area of Search	Hertfordshire
Grid reference	TL344400
Interest	Biological
Area	143.3 hectares
Notification	1984
Location map	Magic Map

Therfield Heath is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest^[1]^[2] and Local Nature Reserve^[3]^[4] on the chalk escarpment just north of Therfield, Hertfordshire; since it lies south-west of the town of Royston it is also known locally as Royston Heath. The Heath is a common on which sheep are still regularly grazed. The site offers views towards the north, over the valley of the Cam as far as Cambridge.

The heath contains a long barrow, thought to be neolithic, and several bronze age round barrows, all of which English Heritage classes as scheduled ancient monuments. The round barrow cemetery is the largest known example of its type in Hertfordshire.^[5]^[6] Therfield heath was reportedly favoured by king James I as a hunting ground.^[7]

The highest point of the Heath is Therfield Hill. This top reaches 168 m (551 ft), the highest point for twelve miles in every direction with a relative height of about 72 m. The top is crowned by a water tower. Church Hill has many rare pasqueflowers, which flower in early spring.^[3]

The Heath can be accessed from Baldock Road.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Therfield Heath.

References

↑ "Therfield Heath citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
↑ "Map of Therfield Heath". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
1 2 "Therfield Heath". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
↑ "Map of Therfield Heath". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
↑ "1010428 - The National Heritage List for England". Retrieved 12 January 2016.
↑ "1010431 - The National Heritage List for England". Retrieved 12 January 2016.
↑ "A History of the County of Hertford".

Coordinates: 52°02′32″N 0°03′18″W / 52.0423°N 0.05491°W / 52.0423; -0.05491

Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Hertfordshire

Biological	Aldbury Nowers Alpine Meadow Amwell Quarry Ashridge Commons and Woods Ashwell Springs Benington High Wood Blagrove Common Bricket Wood Common Croxley Common Moor Frogmore Meadows Great Hormead Park Hertford Heath Hunsdon Mead Knebworth Woods Moor Hall Meadows Northaw Great Wood Oddy Hill and Tring Park Patmore Heath Plashes Wood Redwell Wood Roughdown Common Rye Meads Sarratt Bottom Sawbridgeworth Marsh Sherrardspark Wood Tewinbury Therfield Heath Thorley Flood Pound Tring Reservoirs Tring Woodlands Turnford and Cheshunt Pits Wain Wood Water End Swallow Holes Whippendell Wood Wormley-Hoddesdonpark Wood North Wormley-Hoddesdonpark Wood South

Geological	Castle Lime Works Quarry Downfield Pit, Westmill Hillcollins Pit Little Heath Pit Moor Mill Quarry, West Oughtonhead Lane Westwood Quarry

Local Nature Reserves in Hertfordshire

Broxbourne	Cheshunt Park Top Field and Cozens Grove

Dacorum	Howe Grove Wood Shrubhill Common

East Hertfordshire	Waterford Heath

Hertsmere	Fisher's Field Furzefield Wood and Lower Halfpenny Hilfield Park Reservoir

North Hertfordshire	Ivel Springs Norton Common Oughtonhead Common Purwell Meadows Therfield Heath Weston Hills

St Albans	Batford Springs Colney Heath Marshalls Heath Watercress Wildlife Site Wheathampstead The Wick

Three Rivers	Chorleywood Common Chorleywood House Estate Croxley Common Moor Oxhey Woods Prestwick Road Meadows Rickmansworth Aquadrome Stockers Lake The Withey Beds

Watford	Albans Wood Cassiobury Park Garston Park Harebreaks Wood The Lairage Land

Welwyn Hatfield	The Commons Danesbury Park Howe Dell Mardley Heath Northaw Great Wood Country Park Oxleys Wood Sherrardspark Wood Singlers Marsh Stanborough Reedmarsh

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