The Quest for England: From Cissbury to Chanctonbury

It is another wet grim day in Sussex, and I am taking a walk between two landmarks on the South Downs. Starting below Cissbury Ring, near Findon, in West Sussex, I stroll along the muddy paths towards Chanctonbury Ring - both Iron Age hill forts.

Earlier, in Neolithic times, Cissbury was famed for its wonderful flint mines, and later, Chanctonbury hill had a Roman temple upon its summit. But between those vague dates, both had earth banks and ditches encircling them.

An old farm track runs to and from, probably as ancient, and I take a journey along to explore the landscape.

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[KevinsRambles]

Well done Richard nice video and lovely landscape and views

[andrewnorris]

I absolutely endorse that feeling of being in your tent while the elements battle it out outside. It’s so wonderful to see and experience, and sometimes it is good to be out of your comfort zone. I loved this video since you showed us the Downs in conditions most people wouldn’t think worthy of posting, but it absolutely was. Simply wonderful. Thank you, Richard.

[AlannahRyane]

It's good Richard the mini 'fasting' turns your walk into more of a 'vision' quest. You are getting deeper I love it!

[AysenurToptas]

Fantastic walk! So good to see the blue sky at the end of the walk :)

[annosborne]

Well done Richard, you were well kitted out for the rain, beautiful views at the end and seeing a glimpse of blue sky.

[andyfrearson]

No matter what the weather is doing you always get a great video out Richard. Fantastic views, and wonderful landscape.👍🏻

[PortsladeBySea]

Your dedication to the cause is very impressive Lovely Richard! I sat in front of our TV, with a mug of hot tea, appreciating the heat from our radiators whilst watching it! Trees and the the human lung look so similar with their lobes, bronchi and alveoli. Nature is an amazing thing. What, or who ever, created it is very clever! 💚

[Gez-C]

Fantastic video! I sometimes run up around there and must admit the scenery is beautiful

[georgetimperley]

Nice walk between the. 2 Hill forts. it's nice to have a walk so local to you, that you can just pop out then walk it. Nice video well done👍

[ramibu]

What a wet soggy day! Must have felt good for you to get back out on the Downs again though! As always I love your walks & talks - love all the historic information!

[anthonyfrost]

Cissbury ring has many happy memories, that soft turf you can sleep on, my girlfriends had to be fit to follow me up the side of what I read were earth walls to an iron age fort but on an organised dig we found flint tools so it went back a long way further .

[paulpj]

Thank you for the continued Quest Richard. Top content as always. Those two special places are a must, i must try and get up there. You looked like you nearly went over at one point.

[bulbhead]

I have done this walk many times. It's a great walk.

[MrGreatplum]

What a lovely walk - we are both very lucky to have a set of Downs near us! I’m glad the weather brightened up - I guess your walk back to the car was much less wet!

[WiltshireMan]

Ah you said it. Wild Camping:) There's an old saying. "Little fishes are sweet". In other words, start off with just a little one night sojourn, not an epic multi day and night hike/ camp. You've already got the stove:) Spring is on the way, a good season to cut your teeth and get into camping.
Sandy
PS I love Chanctonbury ring, only ever been there once but will return

[Stringtrees]

The countryside has a harsh beauty when the weather is like that-I think you are right, it is extra nice to be wrapped up when it is persistently coming down. A nice glass of single malt is what you should have rewarded yourself with .

[JohnHawkins]

I'm reading Hilaire Belloc's "The Old Road" at the moment, and he makes a similar point to that which you mention here - the importance of these lines of hills (the South Downs, North Downs, the Ridgeway etc) as ancient routes at a point in history when lower ground would have been impenetrable woods.


I've done a very similar walk from Cissbury to Chanctonbury and really enjoyed it - great to have a walk book-ended by such evocative sites!

[stevesmith]

I did that walk in the sweltering heat of last summer, hard to imagine at the moment!

[MrNas]

Energising! It occurs to me that with the (non-event in my view) COVID-19 epidemic, if 'self isolation' was to become a thing, then walking on the downs would be rather good activity. Although highly contagious (that at least we can assume), like other cold virus, it will hate the big outdoors and especially sunlight which will break it down quite quickly. Just don't sneeze on the runners!!!

[nlanca]

You should travel west again and visit Cadbury Hill in Somerset - another hill fort - then go on to Sherborne, , about 10 miles away into Dorset, which has connections to the Saxon kings of Wessex.