place

Butser Hill

Geological Conservation Review sitesHills of HampshireMarilyns of EnglandSites of Special Scientific Interest in HampshireSpecial Areas of Conservation in England
Butser Hill
Butser Hill

Butser Hill is a hill and nature reserve in Hampshire, England. South-west of Petersfield, it is a 239.7-hectare (592-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is a national nature reserve and a Special Area of Conservation. Part of it is a Geological Conservation Review site and an area of 84.8 hectares (210 acres) is Oxenbourne Down, which is designated a Local Nature Reserve. Part of it is a Scheduled Monument.It is a chalk hill and one of the highest points in Hampshire. It is also the highest point on the chalk ridge of the South Downs and the second highest point in the South Downs National Park after Blackdown in the Western Weald. Although only 271 metres (889 ft) high, it qualifies as one of England's Marilyns. It is located within the borders of the Queen Elizabeth Country Park. The name Butser comes from the Old English Bryttes Oran meaning Briht's slope. Oran or Ora is Old English for flat topped hill and/or steep slope.The flat summit is surrounded by a number of spurs. Iron Age ditches and banks divide the spurs from the summit although the purpose of these earthworks is unclear.There is evidence of lynchet farming on the southeast side of the hill. The age of the lynchets is unknown but Roman pottery has been brought to the surface by rabbit holes.There are aerial masts on the hill.The hill was purchased by Hampshire County Council in 1966. Prior to the purchase the summit was used for growing wheat but now the only farming activity is grazing. In December 2021 a £240,000 program was announced to restore grassland on the hill and improve trails.Butser Hill has a rich variety of flora and fauna located upon the hill. Butser Hill is in the top twenty Hampshire chalk grassland sites for its rich vascular flora, and is the richest chalk grassland site in Hampshire in terms of its bryophyte (125 species) and lichen (82 species) flora. As well as this, over 30 species of butterfly have been recorded, including populations of Duke of Burgundy and the Silver-spotted Skipper, making the area an important conservation area for many butterfly species. There is an annual Fell Run called the Butser Hill Challenge that involves running up and down the hill three times.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Butser Hill (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Butser Hill
Limekiln Lane, East Hampshire Langrish

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Butser HillContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 50.97767 ° E -0.9815 °
placeShow on map

Address

Limekiln Lane
GU32 1QN East Hampshire, Langrish
England, United Kingdom
mapOpen on Google Maps

Butser Hill
Butser Hill
Share experience

Nearby Places

Queen Elizabeth Country Park
Queen Elizabeth Country Park

Queen Elizabeth Country Park is a large country park situated on the South Downs in southern England. It is located on the A3 road three miles south of Petersfield, Hampshire and lies within the South Downs National Park. The park contains 1,400 acres (6 km2) of open access woodland and downland within the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, including Butser Hill (886 ft), the highest point on the South Downs, and War Down (801 ft). The woodland was mostly planted in the 1930s; it consists mainly of beech trees. Several Long-distance footpaths run through the park including Staunton Way, Hangers Way and the South Downs Way bridleway. On a clear day the Isle of Wight can be seen from the top of Butser Hill. The park also contains several waymarked and graded mountain biking trails. These are designed, built and maintained by volunteers. The Queen Elizabeth Country Park parkrun takes place within the park each Saturday. To the east of the forest, south of the village of Buriton lies the wooded hill of Head Down (205 m), which "is an area that caters for clubs that require land with privacy for outdoor recreational activities, such as archery or off-road vehicles."Every July the Queen Elizabeth Country Park is the start point for Oxfam's biggest annual fundraising event, Trailwalker UK.The Queen Elizabeth Country Park and the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda are twinned in a project of "cultural exchange, mutual support and has its main emphasis on supporting Conservation through working closely with and empowering local communities".