The chalk bank was formed in the 1960s when the hillside was cut away to enable roads and houses to be constructed. The remainder is woodland, scrub and rough grass. Mature trees include oak, beech, sycamore, horse chestnut, Norway maple and ash.
The chalk face has a good range of plant species, including several typical chalk grassland plants, e.g. privet, agrimony, wild mignonette, perforate St John's-wort, bird's-foot trefoil, fairy flax, hoary plantain and quaking grass. A rare fungus (Volvariella bombycina) and common spotted orchid have previously been recorded, and many species of butterfly.