THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE - The Battle of Cissbury

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

THE BATTLE OF CISSBURY

Originally published in the Findon News in November 2006

Second revision published in the Findon Valley and Village Directory a year later in November 2007

Did you know that there was once a mighty battle over the Cissbury escarpment above Findon? The Battle of Cissbury really began in earnest when heated exchanges were sparked off in August 1930.

The words "CISSBURY DOWN ESTATE" were neatly carved in startling lettering 45 ft. high and covered more than one-and-a-half acres of Cissbury land and could be seen from as far away as Goring.

These words emblazoned on the Cissbury hillside in 1930 formed part of an unfortunate massive advertising campaign for housing developers on the verge of changing forever what, until then, had been our green and unspoiled landscape.

Cissbury Ring pre 1930 from High Salvington

Five years earlier, Cissbury Ring had been taken over by the National Trust as a site of historical interest and the developers incurred the anger of the public with their act of vandalism. The apparent objective was to induce passer-bys to purchase a building plot on the green and pleasant land below the Iron Age Fort.

E. V. Lucas the author of Highways and Byways in Sussex, wrote in the Sunday Times in 1934.....

I was bewildered by the changes which suddenly burst upon the traveller from London as he leaves the Findon Valley. The builder has now actually invaded the slopes of Cissbury. Broadwater, once an isolated village beside its Green, is now a part of the great spreading town.

From one time schoolboy of Findon.....

3rd January 2004

Dear Valerie

Cissbury Down Estate

I had never even heard of the advertising on the hillside, however, I can identify exactly where it was and provide some idea as to its date.

The picture is taken west to east looking across Findon Valley before the housing took over. In the foreground is the brand new Cissbury Hotel. The "advertisement" is carved into the western slope of Mount Carvey.

It looks as if the Cissbury Hotel just predates the carving by a very short head! I would guestimate the date therefore as being between 1925 and 1930. The carving had thankfully grown over by the time I knew the area well from 1938 onwards.

Happy New Year to you all!

Mike.

Mike Cooksey, Bristol.

4th January 2005

Valerie

There will no longer be any trace of the carving. That area was ploughed in 1940/41 to produce a very poor crop of stunted barley! It was an attempt to increase production generally, but not very successful. Ploughing the hillside was a dangerous pursuit!!!! There was only about 3 inches of topsoil before solid chalk so if there had been any remains, they would have been destroyed.

Nevertheless, have a good walk over the area and think of me tobogganing down that slope! But watch out for the chalkpit beneath!

I suspect that all the subsequent building was carried out by the "Cissbury Downs Estate" and that this was their way of advertising the fact that there were to be houses for sale imminently. Very visible from the A24 at the time and of course from Salvington.

All good wishes ..... Mike.

Mike Cooksey, Bristol.

In 1930 the debate rumbled on in Findon and eight weeks of bitter protests followed before the West Sussex County Council eventually stated —

"The development company are now prepared to undertake obliteration of the lettering."

By October the estate company's employees were to be seen busily removing the giant letters, each one of which produced twenty-two "loads" of chalk. The Battle of Cissbury was officially over.

Employees of the Cissbury Down Estate Company finally preparing to eradicate the offending 45 ft. high lettering of their advertisement from the slopes of the Cissbury escarpment in October 1930.

In 1935, developers unveiled their long-term plans for the 1,200-house Cissbury Down Estate. The prices ranged from £1,050 leasehold to £1,300 freehold...... and here they are going up....

With Cissbury Ring in the background....

This scheme comprised the King's Parade shopping precinct on the east side of the Findon Road, which suddenly grew from what had been little more than a lonely byway to the fast moving highway that it is today.

1935 — Fishers Garage in Findon Valley (now the BP garage) with the High Salvington hillside in the background.

1935 — Fishers Garage with the High Salvington houses on the skyline.

John J. Fisher of Worthing wrote to me in March 2008 regarding the local actress and author, Nancy Price ...."When I was about 13 my grandmother showed me a cutting from the Worthing Herald (date about 1937). Nancy Price had written a letter or column in the Herald about her dislike of the bungaloid growths and scabbings of Findon Valley.

My grandmother was so incensed that she wrote a reply to the Herald the gist of which referred to Nancy Price
living in a nice bungalow on High Salvington with well dug foundations and every modern convenience.

Nancy Price replied offering to meet my grandmother but the offer was never taken up. Of course the development of the Valley did destroy a very beautiful area. John."

Cissbury Ring as you've never seen it before.

Aerial photograph by Grahame Algar of nearby Lancing in the summer of 2005 from his remotely piloted electric powered aircraft.

... and so that you don't all feel too sea sick....

Aerial photograph by Grahame Algar of nearby Lancing in the summer of 2005 from his remotely piloted electric powered aircraft.

By 1957, it was estimated that over the previous two decades, a total of 410 houses and bungalows had been constructed in the Findon Valley below Cissbury Ring, boosting the overall population by some 1,000 persons.

Continue if you would like to read about The Hinderburg from Cissbury Ring.

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.

E-mail: valeriemartin@findonvillage.com