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| Butser Hill | |
|---|---|
 Butser Hill from the base of the public Rights of way in England and Wales near the A3 road |
|
| Elevation | 270 metres (886 ft) |
| Location | South Downs, England |
| Prominence | 158 metres (518 ft) |
| Parent peak | Walbury Hill |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 197 |
| OS grid reference | SU716203 |
| Listing | Marilyn |
Butser Hill is a chalk hill and one of the highest points in Hampshire. Although only 270 metres (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.
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(1).
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 square kilometres (0.893 sq mi) 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 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.
Butser Hill has also hosted entertainment events. September last year it hosted butserfest and has hosted various country fairs in the past.
See also
Butser hill is near Butser Ancient Farm, the site of an archaeological experiment.
Coordinates: 50°58′40″N 0°58′53″W / 50.97767°N 0.98150°W
References
- Hampshire Place Names by Richard Coates Ensign Publications 1993 page 46
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