Sussex and the Devil go back a long way and you’ll find references to him (or her) across the county. In West Sussex, two particular Satan-style references are the Devil’s Humps and the Devil’s Jumps. They are not to be confused because they are quite different (although not that far apart) and both are worth a visit.
The Devil’s Humps
The Devil’s Humps are near Stoughton and on a hill above Kingley Vale. For reasons that will become clear, they are also known as the Kings’ Graves. They are four Bronze Age burial mounds that sit on a ridge with views across to The Trundle in one direction and Stoughton and beyond in the other. Arranged slightly apart in pairs, two are what’s known as bell barrows (presumably because they look like a bell) and two are bowl barrows (yes, because they look a bit like a bowl). They are about 4 metres high and it seems likely that various other mounds in the area are also Bronze Age barrows. In the mid 19th century, excavations revealed various artefacts within including pottery and burnt bones.
Legend and folklore
Legend has it that there was a great Viking battle in the area in AD 859 (accounts of the date vary) and the defeated and killed Viking Kings were buried here. The lesser Viking soldiers died or were buried in the valley and Yew forest below which they are said to haunt.
There is no denying the barrows make a distinctive and evocative landmark and they are well worth a visit. There’s an information board that describes what the mounds would have looked like at the time they were built …”gleaming white chalk” and “shining white beacons dotted across the landscape” and there are images to give you an idea of what life would have been like.
The Devil’s Jumps
The Devil’s Jumps are at Treyford, north west of the Humps. They are just to the side of the South Downs Way and they are made up of five Bronze Age bell barrows. They are just shy of five metres high and what is particularly remarkable about them is that they are set out in a line that aligns with sunset on Midsummer Day.
Legend and folklore
Of course, folkore abounds. According to legend, the god Thor used to sit on Tryford Hill, until one day the Devil disturbed him by bouncing from one barrow to the next. An angry Thor saw off the Devil by throwing a stone at him.
They are another charismatic landmark on any walk in the area, and if you’re walking the South Downs Way, I defy you not to throw down your backpack and go and sit a top of one for a while and enjoy the views from Treyford Hill.
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