The name Butser comes from the Old English Bryttes Oran meaning Briht's slope. Oran or Ora is Old English for flat topped hill and/or steep slope.[9]
The flat summit is surrounded by a number of spurs.[8] Iron Age ditches and banks divide the spurs from the summit although the purpose of these earthworks is unclear.[8]
There is evidence of lynchet farming on the southeast side of the hill.[10] The age of the lynchets is unknown but Roman pottery has been brought to the surface by rabbit holes.[10]
The hill was purchased by Hampshire County Council in 1966.[8] Prior to the purchase the summit was used for growing wheat but now the only farming activity is grazing.[8] In December 2021 a £240,000 program was announced to restore grassland on the hill and improve trails.[12]
Butser Hill has a rich variety of flora and fauna located upon the hill. Butser Hill is in the top twenty Hampshire chalk grassland sites for its rich vascular flora, and is the richest chalk grassland site in Hampshire in terms of its bryophyte (125 species) and lichen (82 species) flora. As well as this, over 30 species of butterfly have been recorded, including populations of Duke of Burgundy and the Silver-spotted Skipper, making the area an important conservation area for many butterfly species.
There is an annual Fell Run called the Butser Hill Challenge that involves running up and down the hill three times.[13][14]
