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The Archaeology of People: Dimensions of Neolithic Life, Whittle

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<< Other Photo Pages >> Devil's Dyke (West Sussex) - Hillfort in England in West Sussex

Submitted by vicky on Sunday, 07 March 2004  Page Views: 17683

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Devil's Dyke (West Sussex) Alternative Name: Brighton Dyke; Poor Man's Walls
Country: England County: West Sussex Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Brighton  Nearest Village: Poynings
Map Ref: TQ2597311088  Landranger Map Number: 198
Latitude: 50.885556N  Longitude: 0.210501W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
no data Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
no data Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
no data Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5
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lucasn visited on 29th Jan 2022 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4

Hillfort in West Sussex

This site is recorded as Pastscape Monument No. 399072, an extract of which reads: "Yeakell and Gardner's map of 1778-83 shows that the hillfort was known in the 18th century as Poor Man's Walls; the present name derives from the striking coombe to the east, which penetrates deep into the downland escarpment from the north. It has been suggested ... that the hillfort may have been begun, perhaps in the early Iron Age, on the highest ground as a smaller enclosure, whose north-east end is represented by a rampart now ploughed down to a maximum of 0.2m high ... and subsequently expanded to take in the entire promontory in the later Iron Age ... The hillfort became the site of an 'adventure park' in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, centred on the hotel of around 1817 ... During the Second World War, it became a 'defended locality', incorporating a pre-War building whose function remains uncertain."

This hillfort also features on The Northern Antiquarian - see their page for Devil’s Dyke, Poynings, Sussex, which describes this as a "huge fella!" Their page includes directions for finding the fort, together with a map, a plan and a brief archaeology and history.

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coldrum has found this location on Google Street View:

Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
TQ2511 : So Many Trees So Little Time by Simon Carey
by Simon Carey
©2009(licence)
TQ2511 : Viewpoint at Devil's Dyke by Mat Fascione
by Mat Fascione
©2023(licence)
TQ2511 : Viewpoint, Devil's Dyke by Simon Carey
by Simon Carey
©2009(licence)
TQ2511 : Remains of Dyke Steep Grade Railway by Shazz
by Shazz
©2011(licence)
TQ2511 : View through gates in Fulking by Shazz
by Shazz
©2011(licence)

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"Devil's Dyke (West Sussex)" | Login/Create an Account | 13 News and Comments
  
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Re: Devil's Dyke by coldrum on Wednesday, 25 November 2020
(User Info | Send a Message)
Heritage Gateway site entry.

https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MWS5074&resourceID=1032

[ Reply to This ]

Re: Devil's Dyke by Anonymous on Sunday, 19 August 2018
Hi
Does anyway know if Devils Dyke had any temples or ritual places. Is it a sacred site..Any sacred objects or ritual objects. What Leys lines run though it. How did the people live here etc. Its seems the name suggests its a pagan site. I understand that there are stories of pagans and witches using the site at one time.. I newbe to megaliths and ley lines
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Devil's Dyke by Anonymous on Sunday, 27 March 2016
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/saddlescombe-farm-and-newtimber-hill/features/history-devils-dyke-ancient-footfalls-and-fortification
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Street View by coldrum on Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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Devil's Dyke by coldrum on Friday, 16 May 2008
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"Ramparts of the Iron Age hillfort
Over 2000 years ago Devil's Dyke might have been home to a small farming community but its past is still shrouded in mystery. The ramparts or walls of the hillfort can be seen as you walk around the hill. TQ262114".

The above taken from The National Trust website. More information on the area here:

nationaltrust
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Devil's Dyke by Anonymous on Monday, 13 October 2003
i would be interested to know if anybody has any information on archeological digs at the devils dyke. It is a huge hillfort which may or may not be positioned for defensive purposes.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Devil's Dyke by Anonymous on Sunday, 04 April 2004
    we live local to devils dyke. and tried to metal detect some of the area ,but was told to stop detecting as there was nothing to find, by a warden who either thought we did not know our history,he also said they do not want the soil disturbed.{even thought it is a public area?] we do not know of any archeological digs.
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Devil's Dyke by Anonymous on Sunday, 04 April 2004
    Devil's Dyke is a scheduled ancient monument, you should not use a metal detector on it without permission.
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Devil's Dyke by Anonymous on Monday, 05 April 2004
    Metal detector wielders should be locked up.
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Devil's Dyke by Anonymous on Tuesday, 06 April 2004
    yes no metal detectors,
    lets just let the gypsys move in, and use the well loved land mark as a toilet,
    and dumping ground as they have done in the past.

    but no one will lock them up will they,
    its just move on see you next year

    it seems to me less damage is done with a detector, than foot paths that do cut ruts in the down, better still horse tracks.

    However Metal detectors Beware! (and archeological digs)
    during the second world war, the downs took a pounding
    (as pay loads where dropped rather than risking getting to london)
    all of these bombs didnt go off, and I am sure the brass detonator would give a nice bleep for you to dig up.

    well said my bit, no offence to gypsys but not a good site for PR
    ramblers, you keep walking, dont worry, them bombs wont just go off
    horse riders you have as much right to the paths as everybody,
    only if the paths where moved now and then, but that would mean the gates as well,
    heres one, lets make a downs congestion charge for any one North of the river to pay for moving the pathsn gates however wheres all our taxes going anyway that another subject
    detectors keep reporting your finds, some of our best history has been born from these reports, I expect you will know if you find a bomb and the resposibilty that comes with it.

    COTR alright now
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Devil's Dyke by Anonymous on Saturday, 10 April 2004
    Nice grammar !
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: Devil's Dyke by Anonymous on Thursday, 27 May 2004
      it has never been fully excavated. most of the knowlege has been extracted from some work that was done when the hotel complex was redeveloped in the 80s. my great grand parent were gypsies and i just put a curse on you. anyway...the whole of the western end and eastern extreme are unexcavated which leads me to think that this could be a much older site (neolithic) than the visible iron age fortifications. Cissbury and Whitehawk are two examples of this though there is no evidence of flintmines the fact that you can see cissbury to the west suggests a connection, at least in iron age terms.
      [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Devil's Dyke by Anonymous on Saturday, 21 June 2008
    I saw a battle at the dyke, a ghost.
    [ Reply to This ]

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