Cissbury Ring Burh

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Cissbury Knot

In the civil parish of Worthing.
In the historic county of Sussex (Modern Authority of West Sussex, 1974 county of West Sussex).

Hillfort of probable Iron Age date enclosing an area of circa 60 acres. The ramparts partially enclose Neolithic flint mines. Bond list this as a C11 Anglo-Saxon Burh. It has been suggested that Cissbury was once the site of a Saxon mint. Coins bearing the mint signatures Sithe, Sithsteb and Sithmes have been found on coins of Ethelred II and Cnut (1009-1023) and by their distribution it is thought that they were minted in an area between Lewes and Chichester. The use of old forts for mints is not unknown, when nearby mints are moved there during dangerous times, though there has been no archaeological confirmation of the mint at Cissbury.

This site has been described as a;
Urban Defence.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Questionable.
Earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ13950805

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 395595

• Web site links
  • http://www.findon.com/cissbury/cissbury.htm
    http://www2.prestel.co.uk/aspen/sussex/cissbury.html
• Books
  • Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences', in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p92-116
    Wilson, David M., 1976, The archaeology of Anglo-Saxon England p140
• Journal Articles
  • Curwen, E. Cecil, 'A Saxon Mint at Cissbury?' Sussex Notes and Queries Vol15 p134-5
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/barkseng.html#sussex10]