Butser Hill
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| Butser Hill | |
|---|---|
 Butser Hill from the base of the public bridleway near the A3 road |
|
| Elevation | 270 m (886 ft) |
| Location | South Downs, England |
| Prominence | 158 m |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 197 |
| OS grid reference | SU716203 |
| Listing | Marilyn |
Butser Hill is a chalk hill, the highest point on the South Downs. Although only 270 m (886 ft) high, it qualifies as one of England's Marilyns. It is located within the borders of the Queen Elizabeth Country Park, situated about three miles south of the historic market town of Petersfield, Hampshire.
Most of the park, including Butser Hill, is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and since 1998 as a National Nature Reserve. At 2.312 km² (0.9 square miles) this is large when compared against other lowland terrestrial SSSIs and is the second largest area of calcareous grassland in Hampshire.
Butser Hill SSSI has been proposed by the Government as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), recognising its importance from a European perspective. This is due to the rich variety of flora and fauna located upon the hill. Butser Hill is in the top 20 Hampshire chalk grassland sites for its rich vascular flora, and is the richest of any Hampshire chalk grassland site 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.
