A report on Dorset Downs and Hampshire Downs

The top of the downs from above Cerne Abbas, looking south east towards the River Piddle valley
The Hampshire Downs are one of the breadbaskets of Southern England. Here wheat is growing on the free draining chalk downs above Alresford.
Map of Dorset, including the Dorset Downs, showing the geology

The downs are the most western part of a larger chalk formation which also includes (from west to east) Cranborne Chase, Salisbury Plain, Hampshire Downs, Chiltern Hills, North Downs and South Downs.

- Dorset Downs

They are part of a belt of chalk downland that extends from the South Downs in the southeast, north to the Berkshire and Marlborough Downs, and west to the Dorset Downs.

- Hampshire Downs
The top of the downs from above Cerne Abbas, looking south east towards the River Piddle valley

2 related topics with Alpha

Overall
Culver Down, Isle of Wight

Downland

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Downland, chalkland, chalk downs or just downs are areas of open chalk hills, such as the North Downs.

Downland, chalkland, chalk downs or just downs are areas of open chalk hills, such as the North Downs.

Culver Down, Isle of Wight
Galium verum (L.) Lady's Bedstraw, a typical English chalk downland plant

To the southwest, downlands continue via Cranborne Chase into Dorset as the Dorset Downs and southwards through Hampshire as the Hampshire Downs onto the Isle of Wight.

National Character Area

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Natural subdivision of England based on a combination of landscape, biodiversity, geodiversity and economic activity.

Natural subdivision of England based on a combination of landscape, biodiversity, geodiversity and economic activity.

130. Hampshire Downs

134. Dorset Downs and Cranborne Chase