Background
Portsdown Hill is an 8 km long chalk ridge that lies immediately to the north of the City of Portsmouth. It forms a distinct geographical boundary, a fact that can be appreciated from the various hilltop viewpoints. To the south it overlooks the Portsmouth area and its associated harbours, the Solent and the Isle of Wight. To the north, open countryside extends to the South Downs.
Archaeological finds suggest that people have lived on Portsdown since Neolithic times, some 8-6000 years ago. However, most of the evidence of earlier human occupation has been obscured by more recent human activity such as chalk quarrying, military construction, urban expansion and agriculture. Despite the proximity of built up areas the hill retains an open rural atmosphere and is a valuable area for informal public recreation.
Eighty hectares of the public open access land on the south face of the hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its chalk grassland habitat. The extent of this habitat is much reduced due to the post-war cessation of livestock grazing and decimation of the rabbit population due to myxomatosis. The short grassland that once covered the hill has largely given way to scrub and rank vegetation. However, areas of thin soil retain a good downland flora. Deeper soil at the bottom of the slope supports woodland in many places. Other land uses include; public open space, MoD sites and agriculture. Most of the land outside the SSSI has lost its cover of chalk grassland however some fragments remain.
Public use of the Portsdown's open space is concentrated around the car parks at the eastern end of the hill. Many people come to enjoy the view or exercise their dog. The varied ecology of the hill attracts individuals with an interest in natural history as well as study groups from local colleges.
Portsdown suffers from the misuse that is commonly found on such urban fringe sites, e.g. fly tipping. These create difficulties when trying to manage the site and raise public perception of the many positive aspects of the