Our story

Queen Elizabeth Country Park is Hampshire's largest country park. Located at the western end of the South Downs National Park, the park spans over 2000 acres and is dominated by three hills, the chalk downland of Butser and the beautiful woodlands of Holt and War Down.

Queen Elizabeth Country Park was opened in 1976, joining the two land areas of Butser Hill and Queen Elizabeth Forest. Buster Hill, to the west, was formerly owned by Hampshire County Council, who purchased the original land in the 1960s. The eastern area of Queen Elizabeth Forest was owned by Forestry England. The then-scrubby downland was bought in 1928, and all the trees you see today have been planted in the decades that followed. The two partners have worked together ever since.

In April 1976, the visitor centre was opened by Queen Elizabeth II and the park was named in her honour. This splendid building was designed by Huw Casson, the architect responsible for the famous Elephant House at London Zoo.