[1][2] Part of it lies in Totternhoe nature reserve, which is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

[3] The site is part of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

[4] The site is a disused medieval quarry [5] for Totternhoe stone, a durable chalk which was used for buildings including Westminster Abbey.

The steeply sloping spoil heaps have developed into grasslands which have a wide variety of flowers, including orchids.

[6] Grass chalkland is a habitat under threat, and the site has a number of rare plant species, including great pignut.