Cissbury Ring

Cissbury Ring is a large hill fort in West Sussex, owned by the National Trust and protected as a Scheduled Monument. It sits on a hill 600 feet above sea level, surrounded by chalk grassland and scrub. The site covers 60 acres and includes the remains of an Iron Age hill fort with deep ditches and high banks. Below the fort lie the remains of a Neolithic flint mine, one of the first in Britain. The hill offers wide views across Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The fort was built around 250 BC and abandoned by AD 50, but its earthworks remain impressive. The flint mine has over 270 shafts, some reaching 12 metres deep, with galleries branching from their bases. Artefacts from Cissbury are held in museums including Worthing Museum and the British Museum. During World War II the site was used by the 2nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and later ploughed for food. Bronze Age barrows lie just outside the ramparts. Visitors walk along the mile-long inner bank and look out over Selsey, Chichester Cathedral and the Isle of Wight to the west. To the east the Seven Sisters cliffs and Beachy Head are visible. The chalk grassland supports upright brome and rare butterflies, while scrub areas shelter birds. The top of the hill is open to the public and offers quiet views across the South Downs.