 The habitat is mostly grassland and the site includes the Alton Barnes White Horse.The reserve is a Special Area of Conservation and part of the Pewsey Downs Site of Special Scientific Interest.The main grass species in the community are sheep's fescue ("Festuca ovina") and red fescue ("Festuca rubra") and there is an absence of the dwarf sedge ("Carex humilis"), which is common at other downland sites nearby.