To the east the hill descends gently down to Freshwater Bay where the sea has cut through the ridge.

The top of the Down is fairly flat and is predominantly grass downland which provides a wide area for walking.

The Down is owned and managed by the National Trust and is grazed by cattle and rabbits which ensures that its grass surface is closely cropped.

At the top of the Down at a height of 147m stands a huge granite cross commemorating the life of Alfred Lord Tennyson.

From here on a clear day it is possible to see Old Harry Rocks and the Isle of Purbeck to the west, Yarmouth and Lymington to the north, and to the east, much of the Solent, Fawley Oil Refinery, a large part of the western half of the Isle of Wight, and St. Catherine's Point, 20 km away across Brighstone Bay.