Cissbury Ring Circular Walk

Route Description for Cissbury Ring Circular Walk

The Cissbury Ring Circular walk is a beautiful stroll through the English countryside that is full of different species of butterflies and animals throughout. Along this path you will have to navigate multiple kissing gates, stiles and fences to keep on track but they are decently easy to maneuver. You will encounter cows, sheeps and horses on this path, so if you are with your dog, ensure you have a lead handy.

This walk boasts beautiful scenery and gives you a chance to delve into nature and be around countless types of wildlife. There are also many wildflowers that come alive during the spring and summer months and can make for fantastic sights. This walk gives you a bit of a workout with some steep areas but it is nothing that is too strenuous.

Beginning at the Storrington Rise car park, walk across the field ahead towards the corner of a copse. You will come across a kissing gate that you will have to navigate through and then follow the path along the copse edge wandering under sycamore trees. You will have to go through a stile, cross a field and then maneuver a kissing gate, which is located by the National Trust sign.

Walk towards the car park and turn right and follow the road down a slope and continue by crossing the minor cross roads. After you pass a bridlegate, turn left at the crossroad and head through another bridlegate and go to the entrance gate of the hill fort. After navigating a kissing gate, head right and then following the path, take a left past flint mines.

Follow the rampant ditch to the south west entrance near the old beech plantation and head right out the hill fort entrance. Go through the kissing gate and the flint mines and head towards the bridlegate. Follow the path through more sycamore trees and end up back where you started at the Storrington car park.

Trail Highlights

Collection of butterflies

The Cissbury Ring Circular Walk is home to many species of butterflies and is the highlight for many people who journey here. Some of the butterflies that live along this path that you may see are Adonis, chalkhill blues, dark-green fritillaries and marbled whites, lower numbers of dingy and grizzled skippers and small blue and the occasional brown hairstreak.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is Cissbury Ring?

The Cissbury Ring is 84 hectares (208 acres) and is a biological site of special scientific interest.

What is the closest town to Cissbury Ring?

The closest town to Cissbury Ring is Worthing.

Who owns the Cissbury Ring?

The Cissbury Ring is owned by the National Trust and is designated a scheduled monument for its Neolithic flint mine and Iron Age fort.

What is a flint mine?

A Flint Mine is an area that is used to mine flint out of the ground by the use of shafts or tunnels. Around 200 shafts were drilled into the ground in the Cissbury Ring over 900 years ago. Unfortunately, the site has been disturbed due to illicit metal detecting.

Insider Hints for Cissbury Ring Circular Walk

• Parking is available; however, if you are not a member of the National Trust, there is a small fee
• The Royal Pavilion is a site to see and is located close to the Cissbury Ring.
• Head down to the Brighton Palace Pier for a swim or to play some arcade games or enjoy a tea room.
• Head to the Cissbury Ring in summer as many flowers are in bloom and they attract butterflies for you to enjoy.
• On a clear day, you can see Isle of Wight, Selsey, Chichester Cathedral and the Spinnaker Tower.