[4] Part of it is a Geological Conservation Review site[5] and an area of 84.8 hectares (210 acres), Oxenbourne Down, is designated a Local Nature Reserve.

[8] Iron Age ditches and banks divide the spurs from the summit although the purpose of these earthworks is unclear.

[10] The age of the lynchets is unknown but Roman pottery has been brought to the surface by rabbit holes.

[8] In December 2021 a £240,000 program was announced to restore grassland on the hill and improve trails.

It is in the top twenty Hampshire chalk grassland sites for its rich vascular flora, and is the richest chalk grassland site in Hampshire for bryophytes (125 species) and lichens (82 species).