Cissbury Ring

Cissbury Ring

Cissbury Ring rises to 184 m above Findon Valley, north of Worthing, in the South Downs National Park. Its 53 m prominence and summit position come from the Database of British and Irish Hills. The highest ground is beside the trig point within the hillfort.

Landscape and archaeology

The hill is a chalk spur with a clay-with-flints cap. Neolithic miners dug shafts and underground galleries to extract flint, leaving hollows and spoil mounds that remain visible in the grassland. These mines are older than the Iron Age hillfort, built around 400 BC.

The hillfort's banks and ditch enclose roughly 24 hectares. Historic England also records Bronze Age burial remains, Iron Age and Roman field systems, Roman settlement, medieval cultivation and later defensive uses. The surviving earthworks represent several periods, rather than one untouched fort.

Worthing's heritage guide suggests the modern name probably reflects sixteenth-century attempts to associate the site with the Saxon Cissa.

Walking routes

The Cissbury Ring Circular Walk described here follows the National Trust's history and nature trail. It starts and finishes at Storrington Rise car park, TQ129076, and covers 3.52 km in a published 1–1.5 hours. The route climbs to the ramparts, enters from the south, crosses to the trig point, and follows the eastern and northern earthworks before returning down the approach. National Trust grades it moderate. Steps, kissing gates and short steep sections make it unsuitable as a step-free outing.

The separate National Trust butterfly walk is a 4.8 km return circuit from the same car park, with 3 hours allowed for exploring wildlife habitat. Its easy grade applies to that itinerary, which uses steps and includes a stile. It explores ramparts, flint mines and adjoining grassland rather than specifying a trig-point visit. Use the mapped guide for the chosen trail; the two distances describe different routes.

A longer outing can link Cissbury with Chanctonbury Ring and the South Downs Way. That is a separate walk, not part of the short summit circuit.

Views and wildlife

The coastal plain and surrounding Downs spread out below the hill. In clear conditions the Isle of Wight and chalk cliffs beyond Brighton can be visible. Chanctonbury Ring lies to the north. Downland flowers and butterflies are a highlight in spring and summer, with chalkhill blues especially associated with July and August. Migrating birds use the hill in spring and autumn.

Access and facilities

Storrington Rise car park in Findon Valley, BN14 0HT, is the National Trust's recommended walking start but is not a Trust car park. Allow approximately 20 minutes uphill to the ring. Check signs before parking.

Metrobus 23 runs between Worthing and Crawley via Horsham and Findon Valley. Stagecoach 1 runs between Worthing and Midhurst via Findon. National Trust directions for the Storrington Rise approach use the May Tree Avenue stop on the A24, then the walk along May Tree Avenue and Storrington Rise. Check current timetables, stops and the last return service.

There are no toilets on the hill. Council-listed toilets are on Findon Road near Findon Valley library and Lime Tree Avenue, with seasonal hours; the accessible facility needs a RADAR key. Findon Valley has cafés, and the history trail identifies benches on the hill.

Walking safely and caring for the site

Chalk and flint paths, uneven earthworks and steps can become slippery in wet weather. Take care on slopes and rampart edges. Keep dogs on leads and give the grazing ponies space; do not feed them. Use the paths with care around the archaeological remains and follow local signs.

Other hills

Chanctonbury Ring is 242 m; Devil's Dyke, farther east, is 216.5 m in the Database of British and Irish Hills. These are separate hills with their own routes and access arrangements.