A small section of the footpath along the top of the inner ring, the inner ring is a mile in circumference.

Cissbury was originally built between 400 and 250BC and the defensive ring was maintained until 50BC. When the Romans left Britain and Saxon raiders began landing along the south coast, Cissbury became an important defensive position once again. Today the ring is protected by the National Trust and has become an ideal spot for picnics with many locals and visitors to West Sussex.

Up until Tudor times this large hill fort was simply called the Bury meaning the stronghold. It is believed that the hill somehow became linked with the Saxon Chieftain Cissa who in reality had set up his camp at nearby Chichester, it wasn't until 1724 that the name of the hill finally became Cissbury.

Volunteers working on the outer ring help maintain Cissbury for future generations.

Cissbury is the largest fortification of this type in Sussex and covers over 78 acres. It is really two rings, a smaller outer ring behind which is a much larger steeper rampart. It is estimated that 60,000 tons of chalk was needed to build the ring, all the more impressive when you think that the picks would have been made from deer's antlers and the shovels would have been the shoulder blades of from an Ox.

Looking north, you can see the trees of Chanctonbury Ring just over 2 miles away.

Inside the ring there is an area full of deep depressions, this is all that remains of the once thriving flint mines, flint first began to be mined here in Neolithic times . Flint from Cissbury has been found as far away as the Eastern Mediterranean. 

This dip in the ground was once a thriving and important flint mine.	A view of the inner rampart when looking south.

SPOOK SPOT: Cissbury like most of the old hill forts is reputed to have hidden treasure buried within its ramparts. The treasure can take many forms and is usually guarded by the Devil but the Cissbury treasure is said to be guarded by hissing snakes with bared fangs!

Cissbury Ring is a crossroads for several footpaths.

SPOOK SPOT: If your driving passed Cissbury and you feel a thump as if you have driven over something in the road but when you look there is nothing there, it may have been the Phantom Highwayman. Just prior to his execution a local highwayman vowed not to stay in his grave. The locals hung him anyway and then buried him in the middle of the road. The following day the highwayman's body was found on top of his grave, he was promptly re-buried. This continued for several nights until at last the body stayed underground. Over the years many people have reported going over something on the road, always at the same spot and there is never anything there?