Area:13.2hectares,32.6acres.
Reasons for Notification:
An area of chalk downland of south and west aspect. In excellent condition, the swards show some variety in species composition whilst being characteristic of chalk grassland in the south west part of the county.
Most of the grassland is of the association: Sheep’s Fescue/Red Fescue Festuca ovina/F. rubra – Salad Burnet Sanguisorba minor. It is rich in attractive downland plants including Horseshoe Vetch Hippocrepis comosa, Clustered Bellflower Campanula glomerata, Harebell Campanula rotundifolia, Small Scabious Scabiosa columbaria, Devil’s-bit Succisa pratensis and Betony Stachys officinalis. Areas dominated by Tor Grass Brachypodium pinnatum, though not rich in herbs, give additional variety to the site.
There are good populations of butterflies including the local Chalkhill Blue Lysandra corridon and the uncommon Small Blue Cupido minimusand Adonis Blue Lysandra bellargus.