Beautiful views from the fort

Hollingbury Hill Fort
Photograph by Michael Jenkins
Landscape of Hollingbury Hill Fort
Photograph by Michael Jenkins

Ten years ago when I moved to Brighton, I saw Hollingbury Hillfort clearly marked on an OS map, and knew that I would go there one day.

Four years after that, I started going there to throw boomerang. Six years later, when I moved to the Stanmer Heights council estate, I started to walk there regularly. You can see sunrises and sunsets and beautiful views of the South Downs, the English Channel, and the views of Brighton and towns all the way along the coast to Worthing Pier. On a clear day, the Isle of Wight is visible.

Sometimes, I am moved to tears, when I am up there alone, and wonder why no-one else is there.

Comments about this page

  • I have spent many, many hours trying to research the history of Hollingbury Hill Fort without success. I can find no records of any digs in the library and have even been onto Time Team about it. Can anyone fill in a few gaps for me?

    By Adrian J. Andrews (24/04/2006)
  • Hollingbury is a magical place, it’s one of Brighton’s best kept secrets.

    By Stuart Mason (18/07/2006)
  • Some basic information on the Hillfort site can be found here: http://matt.pope.users.btopenworld.com/hollin/Hollinhome.htm

    By Matt (06/08/2007)
  • My daughter did an investigation about the Hillfort for her A level in Archaeology. The local history centre in the Brighton Museum had lots of information and maps giving details of past digs.

    By Patsy Catt (14/11/2007)
  • There is an A4 book about the Camp published at least 3 decades ago.  I will see if I can find my copy and give its title and ISBN number. 

    In the meantime, I recall that in the summer, a circuit of the camp was a regular training run for Mr. Bristow’s PE class in Varndean boys school.  Us lesser mortals would peel off and go blackberrying, and then join the sporty types that did the whole thing as they returned.  We would then jog back to school with blue mouths and have the compulsory cold water showers.

    By Roy Grant (26/12/2013)
  • Mention of Mr (Jason) Bristow brought back memories. He was a distant relation and I have to pass on that he died earlier this summer.

    By Peter Whitcomb (20/11/2015)
  • I can also report that Norman Hobden died earlier this year at the age of 95. He came to teach at Varndean Boys in about 1962. He was a pilot in the RAF and was held in a camp in Germany for two years after being shot down. He never told his teaching colleagues or any pupils.  He was also in a squad that flew Mountbatten around Europe.  Top maths teacher and form master, along with Jason Bristow, both sorely missed.

    By Michael Dartnell (20/11/2015)
  • So sorry to hear about Jason Bristow. He was very supportive to me in the school gymnastics club.

    By Peter Wood (21/11/2015)
  • When I was a child growing up in Hollingbury in the 60s, I used to roam all over “Hollingbury Camp” as my father called it. The only problem getting to it was dodging the deadly golf balls which would whizz past your ears!

    By Janet Beal (21/11/2015)
  • Sorry to hear of Jason Bristow’s passing – he never taught me whilst I was at Varndean but he was one of my lecturers on my Physical Education minor at Brighton Poly.

    By Martin Scrace (21/11/2015)
  • Michael, would that have been Addington Norman Hobden, who was married in Ditchling on 27 March 1948 to Jean Peacock? I believe she died 23 Jan 2013 in Brighton. They lived in Bramble Rise, Westdene. I understand his first name originated from Addington Ward, North Camberwell, where his father was on the Electoral Roll in 1909. Regards, Alan

    By Alan Hobden (22/11/2015)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.