Highlights

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• Butser Hill  is a fine example of chalk downland within the South Downs and are part of the Queen Elizabeth Country Park.

• The hills and valleys within the Butser complex provide an excellent area for walks, with stunning views from the highest point on the South Downs.

• Butser Hill has good populations of Duke of Burgundy, Green Hairstreak, Grizzled and Dingy Skippers. 

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 The Country Park lies within the South Downs National Park and straddles the A3 London-Portsmouth Road in SE Hants. Butser Hill itself is a very prominent landmark, being the highest point on the South Downs and also the location of a TV transmitter.

 

Parts of Butser Hill have special designations, including a National Nature Reserve, Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Scheduled Ancient Monument, reflecting the historical significance, particularly in respect of the iron and bronze ages. Butser Hill summit can be approached part of the way by car, taking a minor road signposted from the main A3. There is refreshment kiosk close to the summit which is open in season, but more extensive visitor facilities are provided at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park Visitor Centre on the other side of the A3. The summit is worth a visit in its own right and provides magnificent views over Portsmouth and the Solent to the Isle of Wight. Walks can be made in various directions from it, providing a spectrum from gentle downland slopes, steep valleys to semi-ancient woodland - and an iron age hill fort.

 

 

Butser Hill

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Butser Hill and the various valleys which cut into its flanks contain a number of notable areas for butterflies. However, recognising that the terrain comprises some steep slopes and changes in elevation of several hundred feet from the valley floor to summit, I choose just two areas to cover in this site feature, providing excellent examples of the valley floor and chalk downland habitat.

 

The first is the steep-sided valley called 'Rake Bottom'  also known as 'Grandfather's Bottom'. The Rake is the slope running north-west from Butser summit, and Rake Bottom is the valley cutting into the hill from the west. The valley is home to numerous butterfly species, including 4 of our less common ones, namely Duke of Burgundy, Green Hairstreak, Grizzled Skipper and Dingy Skipper. The flight periods of these species all overlap, so in theory at least, they can all be seen during the same visit with mid-May being the best time.

 

Whilst one can approach Rake Bottom from Butser Hill summit by descending the Rake (or from West Butser as mentioned later), an alternative is to approach along a track from the north (limited parking at entrance). After ~1km walk south along the track, a wooden gate provides access to the valley.

 

Any of the 4 species just mentioned may be first encountered in small numbers along the path or close to it, in the grassy margins with cowslips or around the bushes of the lower slope. It is only after the track turns due east, towards Butser that one reaches the most productive part of the valley floor. Look for Dingy and Grizzled Skippers again on the lower levels of the open chalk downland slope on the left, whilst the bushes and scrub close to the valley floor are a good place to look for Green Hairstreak. Duke of Burgundy also favour this area and can sometimes be found at the edge of the path along the valley floor and on the lower slopes to the left, where the bare chalk meets the vegetation. According to flight period, look out too for Brown Argus, Common Blue, Small Heath and Nymphalids such as Peacock.