Devil's Humps, Stoughton

Devil's Humps near Stoughton consists of four large barrows arranged in a line from southwest to northeast on Bow Hill. The site contains two bell barrows and two bowl barrows, each surrounded by ditches that define these Bronze Age burial structures.

The mounds date to the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age period. Excavations in 1853 revealed burnt bones and pottery fragments from the Iron Age period.

Local legends link these mounds to a Viking battle fought near Chichester, with stories of warriors buried there whose spirits are said to haunt the ancient yew trees growing nearby.

The site is located within Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve, allowing visitors to explore both the archaeological features and the surrounding natural habitat. The reserve provides walking paths through woodland and open terrain that connect to the burial mounds.

The four barrows show varied heights and appear to have been built at different times, reflecting different burial practices from the prehistoric period. This variety makes the site an open-air record of how funeral customs evolved over generations.

Location: Stoughton

GPS coordinates: 50.89310,-0.83639

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:00