Caburn Fort

Traversing the last part of the climb, and negotiating the defensive ditches, the Gorse Fox found himself in the centre of the the old hill fort.

It is easy to see why it was built - providing panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and affording early warning of any unwanted visitors.

This is the view slight west of south along the River Ouse towards Newhaven and the sea.


As with many earthworks, you tend not to see the defensive ditches and ramparts once you are within the enclosure. However, even after thousands of years of erosion, they are still fairly deep ditches, and steep ramparts and would certainly slow any marauding attacker.

Oh yes, and calling it a "mount" is obviously a bit of local humour. It's only 480 feet high.

According to Natural England: "The cultural history of Mount Caburn mirrors its wildlife value. The reserve contains the 'Caburn', one of the best preserved and most important Bronze Age hill-forts in Sussex. The hill's name probably derives from the Celtic 'Caer Bryn' meaning 'stonghold hill'.

In the 18th century, John Ellman, the local tenant farmer, developed the internationally famous South Down breed of sheep on this downland. Once the world's most important breed, the South Down is now a rare breed."

Follow this link for more information on Mount Caburn