Brush Hill Local Nature Reserve and Local Wildlife Site

View location of Brush Hill Local Nature Reserve on My Wycombe

This chalk grassland and woodland site achieved its designation as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in 1997 due to its recreational and study opportunities for the local community. In 2010, the Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Biodiversity Partnership (BMKBP) designated it as a Local Wildlife Site (LWS) in recognition of its wealth of biological diversity and its value to the local community.

You can view the website for the Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Biodiversity Partnership at the bottom of the page.

Area profile

The site is just over 30 acres and can be accessed from the adjacent Whiteleaf Cross public car park and neighbouring Whiteleaf Hill (owned and managed by Buckinghamshire County Council), at the top of Peters Lane, Princes Risborough. We work closely with Risborough Countryside Group on this site.

The area has three main habitats: woodland, chalk grassland and scrub. Brush Hill is an open access site which means visitors are free to explore the site (except the Conservation Area) through a network of public footpaths, permissive paths and the Ridgeway National Trail. There are no bridleways on Brush Hill and cyclists are respectfully requested not to ride through the reserve.

There is also a designated Conservation Area, which we ask visitors to remain outside of. It is managed for its succession of scrub growth and open glade areas and is particularly valuable for bird life and invertebrates due to the lack of disturbance.

Best time to visit

Bring a picnic during high summer when the chalk grassland is a carpet of colourful wildflowers, lie back, relax and enjoy the panoramic views from the hillside.

Wildlife in the area

In the woodland, across the road from Whiteleaf car park, an array of plant life can be found in spring including wood anemone, bluebells, wood sorrel. Look closely and you may even be able to find white helleborines. Later in the summer look out for violet helleborines in the shaded woodland areas.

While still in the woods, look out for nuthatches or even tree creepers birds, that may be scuttling characteristically up and down tree trunks. Top tip: If the bird is scuttling downwards it will be a nuthatch as tree creepers can only move upwards.

Out on the chalk grassland look up and catch a site of red kites, buzzards and if you are lucky a raven - these huge members of the crow family have been frequenting the area for some years. Look down to discover some of the myriad of wildflowers and butterflies including the bee orchid (flower) and common blue (butterfly).