Long Lye

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Long Lye is an 11.7-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Buckland St Mary in the Blackdown Hills, Somerset. It was designated in 1988. The site, together with nearby Long Lye Meadow, was considered to be at risk if the A303 road widening went ahead. Long Lye is a traditionally managed neutral grassland, a type once common in lowland Britain but now increasingly rare because farming has become more intensive. The area also includes mature broadleaved woodland and wet flush habitats, which add to its biodiversity. Fifteen butterfly species have been recorded here, including the silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia) whose valenzia form has been found, the purple hairstreak (Quercusia quercus), and the marbled white (Melanargia galathea).