Ditchling Beacon: East Sussex County Top
Significance: Highest peak in East Sussex (Present Day County Top), Highest point in the Rape of Lewes
Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: Leith Hill.
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Leith Hill
Historic County: Sussex (of which Black Down is the County Top)
Elevation: 248m
Date climbed: 24th March 2019
Coordinates: 50° 54′ 7.2″ N, 0° 6′ 25″ W
OS Trig Pillar: TP0760 - Ditchling
Map: OS Explorer OL11 Brighton & Hove
Guidebook: Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (East Sussex), Wikipedia (Ditchling Beacon), Peakbagger, National Trust
Ditchling Beacon is the County Top of present-day East Sussex. It stands as one of the most significant natural and historical landmarks on the South Downs National Park. Rising to an elevation of 248 metres above sea level, it offers truly panoramic, 360-degree views stretching across the Weald to the north and the coastal strip to the south. More than just a vantage point, this chalk hill is a site rich in millennia of human and natural history.
The prominent position of the Beacon made it an ideal defensive location for ancient peoples. Archaeological evidence confirms it was once the site of an Iron Age hillfort, dating back to prehistory. The remains of a single defensive bank and ditch, enclosing an area of approximately 5.5 hectares (13.6 acres), speak to its strategic importance. While relatively little excavation has been carried out, the presence of these fortifications underscores its role as a significant settlement or refuge overlooking the lower ground of the Weald.
The 'Beacon' in its name is not merely descriptive; it's a historical function. Ditchling Beacon was famously one of a chain of signal fires maintained across the country to warn of impending invasion. Visible for miles around, the beacon would be lit in times of national crisis, a critical part of the early warning network, including famously being used to signal the sighting of the Spanish Armada in 1588.
I'd first bagged bagged Ditchling Beacon in 2012 as a drive by on the way back from Devil's Dyke. There's free parking near the summit so it's easy to reach. I'd also had a few close passes while on the BHF London To Brighton Cycle Ride which goes up and over the hill on Ditchling Road.
It wasn't until my South Downs Way cycle ride that I felt that I'd properly bagged it. The early morning slog up the hill from Ditchling Village made me feel like I'd earned it. The long views on a clear spring morning made it worth the effort too.