The National Trust cares for 12 per cent of all the chalk and limestone grassland in Britain.

Much of this land is found on chalk downland slopes in the south-east of England, such as on the Chilterns escarpment. Downland is a precious wildlife habitat, with one square metre often supporting over 30 species of wildflower.

Choose which particular area you would like to find out more about:

• Ashdown Park & the Uffington White Horse
• The Ashridge Estate and Ivinghoe Beacon
• Bembridge and Culver Downs
• Bradenham
• Bramshaw Commons
• The Buscot and Coleshill Estates
• Coombe Hill and Low Scrubs
• Finchampstead Ridges and Simon’s Wood
• Hale Purlieu
• The Hughenden Estate
• Lardon Chase, the Holies and Lough Down
• Ludshott Common and Waggoners’ Wells
• Maidenhead Commons and Cock Marsh
• Pulpit Wood
• St Catherine’s
• Selborne Hill
• Stockbridge Down
• Ventnor
• Watlington Hill
• West Wight
• West Wycombe Hill

Downland
Essentially downland is a habitat created by, and dependent on, the grazing of domesticated stock or rabbits. Without grazing, even the steepest slopes revert to woodland, as happened widely after myxomatosis decimated the rabbit population during the early 1950s.

Since then many downs have become choked by coarse grasses and scrub, and in recent years conservation organisations have been clearing trees and bushes and reintroducing grazing in order to restore traditional downland landscapes and ecosystems.

On the Chiltern downs the Trust runs a large flock of Swaledale sheep and some beef cattle. This management regime ensures satisfactory conditions for specialist plants and insects including several types of orchids and the scarce adonis and chalkhill blue butterflies.