National Trust - Cissbury Ring — Attraction in Worthing

We live in Worthing and we are only 5mins away by car. It's a fantastic and amazing place to visit. Vast area of wild meadows, forest to wander through. If you are fit then the climb to Cissbury Ring is quite steep up and down so be prepared to burn some calories, but once you get to the very top there are some fantastic views of Brighton, wind farm out at sea, the whole coast all the way to Selsey, Bognor Regis, Isle of Wight even Portsmouth can be seen on a clear day. If go round the entire boundary of Cissbury Ring you will see everything including the surrounding roling South Down hills. Loads of wildlife, sheep, birds, birds of prey, slow worms, grass snakes and the best of all the wild horses. They say the shouldn't be fed but people do feed the horse feed, do approach the horses with care and attention as they group together and are easily spooked so dogs must be on leads, it's best to approach the horses without dogs in toe. Do remember the wild horse are looked after by National Park staff but also do remember that Cissbury Ring land is the horses home so be mindful when you see them as I would say it's best to sometimes give the space as sometimes you would see them in small groups around Cissbury Ring. This place is a amazing place to take your kids for a picnic as there some amazing views and loads of nature. There are two car parks with ample room, but if the car parks are full you can park on the road the is near Cissbury Ring. One more thing to add, it's a great place to do star gazing,...

I haven't been to Cissbury Ring since I was a boy (29 now, so some may argue that). I took the same route which I did as a child, which back then seemed an eternity, but in reality is a 15 to 20 minute, no too steep climb straight from the car park up to the top. The climb has great views of Worthing and the surrounding countryside, but the best waits at the top. As seen in my pictures, I was greeted by a Hobbitesq Shire, which has steps that lead around the outer circle of the ring. I was about to do a lap, when I saw horses. Apparently these beautiful creatures live here now. They are not scared of people at all (I saw a jogger in neon pink dart between 5 of them and they never looked up from their lunch) and one was actually quite pleased to see me (or maybe Daniel Radcliff from that play he did was hiding in a shrub). These guys were not here before and they are a welcome addition to this beautiful spot. Once I stopped snapping candid shots of horses, I checked out the view. It's a stunner. Brighton is clear as day and the surrounding countryside is perfect to gaze into while sitting up against a tree. This is my new-old favourite place to go and you'll probably find me up there with a camera teaching horses to do backflips....

I had never visited Cissbury Ring before. I had driven down the A24 a thousand and one times. I had been a member of the National Trust on and off for many years but this was the first time I had actually visited. It is the largest hill fort in Sussex, the second largest in England and one of the largest in Britain and Europe overall, covering some 60 acres.

The earthworks that form the fortifications of Cissbury Ring were built around the beginning of the Middle Iron-Age possibly around 250 BC. The site has a history of over 5000 years.

I hate to write the words but I didn't feel any connection with the location upon arrival. I can't easily explain why, perhaps it was the burnt out car dumped 1/2 a mile up the access road.

So despite me not being a fan of Cissbury Ring I am sure some of you will love it. I certainly don't expect people to judge a location just from my words, please go and explore yourself. It is what life is all about. On a sunny day, avoiding rubbish dumped by humans I am sure Cissbury has its own...