List of hills of East Sussex facts for kids

This is a list of hills in East Sussex. Many of these hills are important places with interesting history, old archaeological sites, and special nature areas. They are also popular spots for hiking and visiting in the county of East Sussex in southeast England.

What Makes a Hill Special?

Have you ever wondered what makes one hill different from another? Hills are often classified based on how much they "stand out" from the land around them. This is called their topographical prominence. Imagine a hill rising from a flat plain – it has high prominence. Now imagine a small bump on the side of a much bigger hill – it has low prominence.

Hills with high prominence usually offer amazing views because they are the highest points in their area. They are also often important landmarks.

Understanding Hill Types

In East Sussex, hills are grouped into different types based on their prominence. These types are called Marilyns, HuMPs, and TuMPs. These names help us understand how significant a hill is.

• A Marilyn is a hill that stands out by at least 150 metres (about 500 feet) from the surrounding land. These are usually quite noticeable hills.
• A HuMP (which stands for Hundred Metre Prominence) is a hill that stands out by at least 100 metres but less than 150 metres.
• A TuMP is a hill that stands out by at least 30 metres but less than 100 metres.

The table next to this text shows these classifications and their colours. Marilyns are shown in beige, and HuMPs are in lilac. To be included in this list, hills must be at least 200 metres high with a prominence of 30 metres or more. Some smaller hills are included if they are very notable in other ways.

Famous Hills in East Sussex

Here is a list of some of the well-known hills in East Sussex. You can see their height, how much they stand out (prominence), and other interesting facts.

Hill	Height (m)	Prom. (m)	Grid ref.	Class	Parent	Range/Region	Remarks	Image
Ditchling Beacon	248	214	TQ331130	East Sussex county top (historical and current), Marilyn, HuMP, TuMP	Leith Hill	South Downs	This is the highest point in East Sussex. A special marker (trig point) is near the top.
Crowborough Hill	242	159	TQ510306	Marilyn, HuMP, TuMP	Leith Hill	High Weald	This is the second highest point in East Sussex. The summit is right on the A26 road.
Black Hill	223	60	TQ474311 (est.)	TuMP	Crowborough Hill	High Weald	This is the third highest point in East Sussex.
Firle Beacon	217	196	TQ485059	Marilyn, HuMP, TuMP	Leith Hill	South Downs	The very top is on a small mound, 10 metres west of a trig point.
Wilmington Hill	214	192	SU794183	Marilyn, HuMP, TuMP	Leith Hill	South Downs	The summit is 25 metres northeast of the trig point.
Hindleap Hill	203	66	TQ414321 (est.)	TuMP	Crowborough Hill	South Downs
Saxonbury Hill	202	70	TQ577329 (est.)	TuMP	Black Down, Sussex	South Downs
Willingdon Hill	201	110	TQ225108 (est.)	HuMP, TuMP	Wilmington Hill	South Downs	The summit is on an ancient burial mound (tumulus) 20 metres north of the trig point.
Newmarket Hill	200	107	TQ362067 (est.)	HuMP, TuMP	Ditchling Beacon	South Downs
North's Seat	175	109	TQ843119 (est.)	HuMP, TuMP	Crowborough	High Weald	There is a trig point at the top.
Cliffe Hill	164	150	TQ434107	Marilyn, HuMP, TuMP	Butser Hill	South Downs	The top is a grassy bank near a golf course green, 10 metres southeast of the trig point.

Find Out More

• List of mountains and hills of the United Kingdom
• List of Marilyns in England