Duncliffe Hill is 86 hectares (213 acres) of ancient woodland rising to a height of 210 metres (754 feet), with some fine views of the surrounding countryside.  It was once owned by King's College, Cambridge, then by the Forestry Commission but since 1984 it has been owned and managed by the Woodland Trust. The main ride, which runs from west to east, had major work carried out in 1987 to enable the commercial extraction of the conifers, which had been planted by the Forestry Commission.  This work had a considerable impact on the principal butterfly habitat, but this has now recovered.  Following the gales of 1990, conifer clearance to the south of the main ride together with a replanting programme has been primarily aimed at bringing the wood back to its previous state as a broad-leaved mixed wood, comprising mainly Oak standards and coppiced Hazel and Ash with Holly and Field Maple dotted here and there.Within the wood there are also some very old stools of coppiced Limes.  Widening around the rides and footpaths is helping to restore the wood by giving more light to the ground flora and encouraging growth of some of the foodplants of butterflies and moths.  You will notice some very fine specimens of Beech on the top of the hill and to the south and west also some Oaks and Limes. The recommended walk is made up of eight sections with varying flora and fauna.  Perhaps now is a good time to mention that the hill has a considerable number of deer and is also a well-known habitat of badgers and foxes.  In due season the Glow-worms can be seen at night carrying out their courtship displays; this is usually alongside the main ride.There is a fine selection of woodland flora with superb displays of Bluebells, Violets, Wood Anemones, Primroses and Foxgloves and, in some of the chemically untreated fields around the hill, large displays of Cowslips. The hill has quite an interesting range of woodland orchids: Twayblade, Common Spotted Orchid, Early Purple Orchid, Heath Spotted Orchid, Broad-leaved Helleborine, a population of later flowering Violet Helleborine and the Pyramidal Orchid.As well as the normal woodland birds, look out in particular for Buzzards, easily recognisable by their mewing cry, Blackcaps and, in the evening, Little Owls.

The walk is divided into 4 parts:-

1. The Entrance Bridleway, Section 1.
2. The Main Ride, Sections 2 and 3.
3. The Southern Circuit, Sections 4, 5 and 6.
4. The Hillside Circuit, Sections 7 and 8.

SECTION 1:ENTRANCE BRIDLEWAY   (Length 387m).

This is outside the Woodland Trust Site, but represents a substantial area of grasses where most of the Browns and Skippers occur.  The second part is grazed and the section ends at the gate to the wood. In due season, many hundreds of Purple Hairstreaks inhabit the Oak trees along this section.  They rarely come to ground level, but can be seen clearly wheeling around in the treetops.

SECTION 2: MAIN WEST - EAST RIDE (WEST SLOPE)   (Length 328m).

The main ride has recovered from the major earthworks of 1987, and the western side is slowly recovering from the storm damage of 1990, with some major replanting by the Woodland Trust.In 1992/3 a considerable amount of voluntary clearance work was done to keep this ride from becoming too shaded and to maintain the flight corridor for the woodland butterflies.  The section ends at the box junction.

SECTION 3: MAIN WEST - EAST RIDE (EAST SLOPE) AND TWO BOX JUNCTIONS (Length 673m).

Walk along the northern edges (three sides) of the box junctions and along the ride to the east gate at the far end, looking out, in particular, for the Silver-washed Fritillary.  This ends Section 3. Turn around and retrace your steps until you reach the box junction and Section 4 going off to the left.  You will, weather permitting, have some wide sweeping views to the south and east, looking across to the chalk downland above Fontmell Magna.  Look for deer grazing in the area below the bridleway.

SECTION 4: NATURAL RIDE GOING SOUTH BETWEEN COPPICED STANDARDS AND CONIFERS  (Length 279m).

This ride was untouched by the main ride work and was one of the nursery areas for regeneration.  The area to the east of the ride has had some clearance work done in 1989/90 letting in the light. The section ends by the stream at the bottom of the valley.  Near here is a silt trap taking the main water flow off the newly planted area. This is proving to be attractive to a range of dragonflies.

SECTION 5: SHADED RIDE, OVERGROWN BETWEEN BEECH AND BLACKBERRY (Length 502m).

This ride curves round to the south-west and then on to the south gate, where there is a clearing overgrown with nettles, and also a fine stand of Poplars.  At the gate, turn right and follow the path to the edge of the wood (40 metres) where the section ends.  Along the ride are some good stands of Common Spotted Orchid and Ragged Robin in April and May.

SECTION 6: DARK RIDE THROUGH CONIFERS (Length 742m).

Some conifer clearance took place in 1989/90, the north end having been widened a little earlier.  Near the end of the section there is a clearer area where there are few conifers in which, before there is much leaf cover, there are first brood Green-veined Whites  but by and large it is still isolated from the main ride.  The section ends at the main ride.

SECTION 7: RIDE THROUGH DERELICT COPPICE (Length 811m).

Go northwards from the junction of Sections 2 and 3.  The ride was widened during the winter of 1989/90.  After about 120 metres, when you reach the contour path, turn left and follow the ride, which goes north-west.  The section ends where it meets the path used mostly by walkers climbing to the top of the hill. Turning left here and going downhill, you will join Section 8.

SECTION 8: PATH AND NORTH-SOUTH RIDE THROUGH SCALLOPED WOODLAND (Length 278m)

This section goes between the main ride which forms Section 2, and the junction with Section 7.  This description assumes that you join the Section at 7 and walk down the steep path to the broad ride which was cleared in 1988/89 back to the main ride. Between the horse barriers an important habitat is developing for Silver-washed Fritillaries, with moss-covered tree trunks providing sites for egg-laying and Violets as foodplants for the larvae.Following the unusually dry summer of 1995 the Woodland Trust arranged for a considerable amount of thinning work to be carried out, as this usually damp clay soil was bone dry and the amount of damage caused could be considerably reduced.  Blocks of woodland between rides 2, 7 and 8, north of 3, east of 4, and a block east of 6, have been dealt with to accelerate the return to broad-leaved woodland.

Preferred Walks:

1. Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 2* and 1*.
2. Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 2* and 1* (if short on time).

The * as used in 2* indicates a return or duplicated walk.