Sites
This page provides information on sites found in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight area. You can also click here to see the butterfly and some of the moth species found in our area.
| Name | Beacon Hill | | Grid Reference | SU 605 225 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | Exton |
| Directions | Take the A32 and turn off at Exton, on left if travelling north. Pass the Shoe Inn public house and follow the track called Shoe Lane into Beacon Hill Lane, travel for 1.5 miles and you will see the car park on the right at SU599228. |
| Description | A chalk downland site managed by Natural England |
| Butterflies of Note | Green Hairstreak, Dingy Skipper, Brown Argus, Chalkhill Blue and Dark Green Fritillary.
May/June: Green Hairstreak, Dingy Skipper, Brown Argus (1st brood)
July/August: Chalkhill Blue
August/September: Brown Argus (2nd brood) |
| Name | Beaulieu Heath | | Grid Reference | SU 350 000 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | Beaulieu |
| Directions | For Beaulieu Heath take the B3054 from Beaulieu towards Brockenhurst. After one and a half miles near Hatchet Pond the B3055 branches off to the right to Brockenhurst. Continue driving along the B3054 towards Lymington, Beaulieu Heath is on the right and there are three or four car parks along this stretch of the road. Alternatively you can take the B3055 from Hatchet pond, the road runs along the northern edge of Beaulieu Heath and there are several car parks on this route. |
| Description | |
| Butterflies of Note | The Silver-studded Blue and Grayling can be seen on heathland throughout the New Forest, but not always in large numbers. This site is representative of heathland areas within the New Forest. Dark Green Fritillary is also present at this site.
June/July: Silver-studded Blue, Dark Green Fritillary.
July/August: Grayling |
| Name | Bentley Station Meadows | | Grid Reference | SU 802 433 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | Bentley |
| Directions | Leave the A31 east of Bentley, turning right if travelling north into Gravel Road, signposted Alice Holt Research Station. Go along this road, over the railway bridge, the car park is on the right about 500 yards beyond the bridge |
| Description | Damp meadow with woodland adjacent to Alice Holt Forest. Managed by Butterfly Conservation |
| Butterflies of Note | Orange Tip, Marbled White, Purple Hairstreak and Silver-washed Fritillary
May: Orange Tip
June/July: Marbled White
July/August: Purple Hairstreak, Silver-washed Fritillary |
| Name | Bentley Wood | | Grid Reference | SU 250 295 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | West Dean |
| Directions | From west Dean take the minor road, north towards West Tytherley; after one mile take left fork towards the Winterslows. Drive about a quarter of a mile and turn left into a gravel track. Drive along track to car park. Grid ref. of car park SU 258 292. |
| Description | Mixed woodland, managed by the Bentley Trust. |
| Butterflies of Note | Pearl- bordered Fritillary, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, White Admiral, Purple Emperor and Silver-washed Fritillary.
May/June: Pearl-bordered Fritillary
June: Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
June/July: White Admiral
July/August: Purple Emperor, Silver-washed Fritillary |
| Name | Coastal Footpath between Keyhaven and Lymington | | Grid Reference | Between SZ 310 915 and SZ 335 945 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | |
| Directions | Parking in Keyhaven is at SZ 306 914 and the closest car park to the coastal path in Lymington is at SZ 333 950 |
| Description | |
| Butterflies of Note | This coastal footpath is currently the best place to see Wall in Hampshire. The Wall has two main broods, May-June, then July-September and sometimes there is a partial third brood in October. |
| Name | Magdalen Hill Down | | Grid Reference | SU 510 292 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | Winchester |
| Directions | From Winchester take the B3404, Alresford Road going east and after 2 miles (from city centre) park in the gravel car park, grid ref. SU 512 295 on the left, opposite the cemetery. Cross the road and walk along track, going south, towards the reserve. Managed by Butterfly Conservation |
| Description | Managed by butterfly Conservation this site is made up of three areas, the ‘Original’, chalk downland on a steep slope not previously farmed, and the two restored areas called the ‘Extension’ and ‘North’ which was previously farm land and were converted into chalk grassland in 1997 and 2004 respectively. |
| Butterflies of Note | Grizzled Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Chalkhill Blue, Small Blue and Marbled White.
April/May: Grizzled Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Common Blue (1st brood) and Brown Argus (1st brood).
June: Small Blue (1st brood), Brown Argus (1st brood) and Common Blue (1st brood)
June/July: Marbled White
July-August: Chalkhill Blue
August/September: Common Blue (2nd Brood), Brown Argus (2nd brood)
August: Small Blue (partial 2nd brood) Clouded Yellow (migrant) |
| Name | Martin Down | | Grid Reference | SU 050 200 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | Martin |
| Directions | From Fordingbridge take the road to Damerham, called Station Road. Keep on the same road and drive through Damerham to the village of Martin, approximately 7 miles. On entering the village turn left into Silken Lane, after half an mile this lane finishes at the car park; SU 058 191. There is alternative parking at the northern end of the site off the A345 at SU 037 201. |
| Description | A chalk downland site managed by Natural England. |
| Butterflies of Note | Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Small Blue, Small Heath, Adonis Blue, Dark Green Fritillary, Chalkhill Blue.
May/June: Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Small Blue (1st brood), Small Heath (1st brood) and Adonis Blue (1st brood)
June/July: Dark Green Fritillary
July/August: Chalkhill Blue
August: Small Blue (partial 2nd brood) |
| Name | Noar Hill | | Grid Reference | SU 740 320 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | Selbourne |
| Directions | Leave Selbourne on the B3006, heading south and turn first right into the road to East Tisted, after half a mile turn left into a minor road. Park on the verge on the right, the reserve can be reached by one of two tracks on the left. The grid ref. for parking is SU 738 323. |
| Description | Chalk grassland and scrub mosaic. Managed by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust |
| Butterflies of Note | Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Duke of Burgundy, Common Blue, Small Heath, Marbled white and Brown Hairstreak.
May/June: Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Duke of Burgundy, Common Blue (1st brood), Small Heath (1st brood)
June/July: Marbled White
August: Brown Hairstreak
August/September: Common Blue (2nd brood), Small Heath (2nd brood) |
| Name | Pamber Forest | | Grid Reference | SU 616 608 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | Tadley |
| Directions | From junction 6 of the M3 take the A339 to Newbury until you see signs for the A340, take this road towards Aldermaston, continue into Tadley and turn right at the roundabout and right again at the T junction into Silchester Road. Continue and turn right into Impstone Road. The car park is on the left near the end of this road at SU 616 620. |
| Description | Ancient Oak and Birch woodland with open heathland and stream valleys; managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. |
| Butterflies of Note | Purple Emperor, Purple Hairstreak, White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary.
June/July: White Admiral
July/ August: Purple Emperor, Purple Hairstreak and Silver-washed Fritillary |
| Name | Pignal/Ramnor/Parkhill Inclosures | | Grid Reference | SU 315 045 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | Brockenhurst |
| Directions | Take the A337 to Brockenhurst and turn into the B3055 at the Balmer Lawn Hotel; this is a left hand turning if travelling south from Lyndhurst. After a quarter of a mile branch left onto a gravel track and drive about three quarters of a mile to the second car park called Standing Hat. Grid ref. of car park SU 314 035. |
| Description | |
| Butterflies of Note | Pearl-bordered Fritillary, White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary.
May/June: Pearl-bordered Fritillary
June/July: White Admiral
July/August: Silver-washed Friitllary |
| Name | Pitt Down | | Grid Reference | SU 420 292 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | Winchester |
| Directions | From the M3 come off at junction 11 and take the A3090 through Olivers Battery to the roundabout which meets the B3040, take the second exit driving towards Winchester. Turn left at the next roundabout then first left into Sarum Road. After approximately 2 miles the road meets the road to Sparsholt, go straight across and travel for another mile or so until the trees give way to downland, there are several small car parks along the road overlooking the down. |
| Description | Chalk downland site managed by Hampshire County Council. |
| Butterflies of Note | Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Small Blue, Dark Green Fritillary and Marbled White.
May/June: Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, Small Blue (1st brood)
June/July: Marbled White, Dark Green Fritillary
August/September: Small Blue (Partial 2nd brood) |
| Name | St Catherine’s Hill | | Grid Reference | SU 484 281 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | Winchester |
| Directions | Leave the M3 at junction 11 and take the B3335 going north towards the centre of Winchester. After approximately 1 mile turn right into Kingsgate Road then second right into Garnier road. Travel for half a mile, the car park is on the right just past the bridge over the Itchen Navigation. Take the footpath along the Navigation going south the entrance to the reserve is about 800 yds. on the left. |
| Description | Chalk downland; managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. |
| Butterflies of Note | Brown Argus, Small Heath, Marbled White, Chalkhill Blue and Silver-spotted Skipper.
May/June: Brown Argus (1st brood), Small Heath (2nd brood)
June/July: Marbled White
July/August: Chalkhill Blue
July-September: Brown Argus (2nd brood) and Small Heath (2nd brood).
August: Silver-spotted skipper |
| Name | Stockbridge Down | | Grid Reference | SU 380 348 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | Stockbridge |
| Directions | Leave Stockbridge heading east on the A272 towards Winchester. There are two car parks, the first is 2 miles on the right SU 374 346, the second is another 1.5 miles SU 388 345 on the left. |
| Description | Chalk downland, managed by the National Trust |
| Butterflies of Note | Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Chalkhill Blue, Dark Green Fritillary, Small Copper and Silver-spotted Skipper.
May/June: Grizzled skipper, Dingy Skipper, Green Hairstreak and Small Copper
June/July: Dark Green Fritillary
July/August: Chalkhill Blue, Small Copper
August: Silver-spotted Skipper (rare) |
| Name | Yew Hill | | Grid Reference | SU 455 264 |
| Nearest Village/town/city | Winchester |
| Directions | Park in Old Kennels Lane, near the junction between Port lane and Millers Lane in Oliver's Battery, Winchester, grid ref. SU 451 269 Take the footpath on the opposite side of the road to the junction and follow the path to Yew Hill Nature Reserve (approximately a 1mile walk). Grid ref. for parking SU 451 269 |
| Description | Chalk downland managed by Butterfly Conservation |
| Butterflies of Note | Common Blue, Marbled White and Chalkhill Blue.
May/June: Common Blue (1st brood)
June/July: Marbled White
July/August: Chalkhill Blue
August/September: Common Blue (2nd brood) |
Additional Sites
There, of course, many more sites that can be found in our area.
The map shows the National Grid, shown in black text on the map, and
the Irish National Grid, shown in green text on the map, each
consisting of a number of 100 x 100 kilometre grid squares. Clicking a
grid square will take you to the
UK
Butterflies website, and will show a more detailed map of
butterflies found in that
square (site information for moths is not yet available), if more information is available. The Hampshire and Isle of
Wight region is centred around the SU and SZ grid squares.
