The soil covering the north- and south-facing chalk slopes of the hill is too thin and insufficiently fertile to allow cultivation. These areas are indicated as "sheep-walk" on the 1801 map and were used as pasture, especially during the winter months when lower ground was too wet for productive grazing. Grazing of these slopes has continued into the 21st century and a herd of Belted Galloway cattle is used by both Surrey Wildlife Trust and the National Trust to control growth of grasses, thereby allowing wild flowers (including orchids) to flourish.