Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill () is a

biological Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

in the

Mendip Hills The Mendip Hills (commonly called the Mendips) is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath, Somerset, Bath in Somerset, England. Running from Weston-super-Mare and the Bristol Channel in the west to the River Frome, Somerset ...

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, notified in 1990. The hills are above the town of

Axbridge Axbridge is a town in Somerset, England, on the River Axe, near the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Its population according to the 2011 census was 2,057. History ''Axanbrycg'' is suggested as the source of the name, meaning a bridge over ...

, immediately to the east of

Shute Shelve Hill Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill is a 332.2 hectare (820.9 acre) geological and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the western end of the Mendip Hills, Somerset. The line of hills runs for approximately from west to east an ...

. This is a nationally important botanical site, for both

vascular Vascular can refer to: * blood vessels, the vascular system in animals * vascular tissue Vascular tissue is a complex transporting tissue, formed of more than one cell type, found in vascular plants. The primary components of vascular tissue ...

and non-vascular plants, situated on the southern escarpment of the Mendip Hills. It also contains a roosting site for two nationally rare species of bat and a wide range of butterfly species. The very thin soils here support populations of one nationally rare species, Cheddar bedstraw (''Galium fleurotii'') and four nationally scarce species, pale

St John's wort ''Hypericum perforatum'', commonly known as St. John's wort (sometimes perforate St. John's wort or common St. John's wort), is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. It is a hairless, perennial herb with woody roots, yellow flowers ma ...

(''Hypericum montanum''), sea storksbill (''Erodium maritimum''),

dwarf mouse-ear ''Cerastium pumilum'', the dwarf mouse-ear or European chickweed, is an annual or biannual herbaceous plant, between 2 and 20 cm. high, native to Central and western Europe. The petals of the white flowers are shorter or equally long as the ...

(''Cerastium pumilum'') and

spring cinquefoil ''Potentilla pusilla'', the spring cinquefoil or spotted cinquefoil, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the rose family (Rosaceae). It may grow up to the height of 5–15 cm (2-6 in). It was first scientifically described by H.G. ...

(''Potentilla tabernaemontani''). There is a roosting site for greater horseshoe bat (''

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum The greater horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus ferrumequinum'') is an insectivorous bat of the genus '' Rhinolophus''. Its distribution covers Europe, Northern Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Asia. It is the largest of the horseshoe bats in Europe and ...

'') and lesser horseshoe bat '' R. hipposideros'', both of which are nationally rare.

Dormice A dormouse is a rodent of the family (biology), family Gliridae (this family is also variously called Myoxidae or Muscardinidae by different taxonomists). Dormice are nocturnal animals found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are named for their ...

(''Muscardinus avellanarius'') are found in the woodland. Twenty-five species of

butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

have been recorded and these include:

brown argus ''Aricia agestis'', the brown argus, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found throughout the Palearctic realm, north to northern Jutland (Denmark) and east to Siberia and the Tian Shan. Subspecies *''A. a. agestis'' southern and ce ...

(''Aricia agestis''),

green hairstreak The green hairstreak (''Callophrys rubi'') is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. Etymology The genus name ''Callophrys'' is a Greek word meaning "beautiful eyebrows", while the species Latin name ''rubi'' derives from ''Rubus'' (brambl ...

(''Callophrys rubi''),

dark green fritillary The dark green fritillary (''Speyeria aglaja'') is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. The insect has a wide range in the Palearctic realm - Europe, Morocco, Iran, Siberia, Central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan. Taxonomy The dark g ...

(''Argynnis aglaja'') and marbled white (''Melanargia galathea'').

References

{{Authority control Hills of Somerset Mendip Hills Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1990 Axbridge