The 'mysterious' Long Man of Wilmington

2 hours ago

Simon Furber,In Wilmingtonand

Cash Murphy,South East

Getty Images An image of the Long Man of Wilmington in Wilmington, East Sussex. The chalk man figure can be seen on the hill, carved out in white. — John Rowley's drawing suggests the original figure was a shadow or indentation in the grass, rather than a solid line

The "mysterious" Long Man of Wilmington, one of Britain's most recognisable chalk figures, sits proudly on the steep slopes of Windover Hill in East Sussex.

According to the Sussex Archaeological Society, the giant, depicted as a standing human figure holding two long staves dates back to at least 1710 when the surveyor John Rowley illustrated the figure.

James Neal, who looks after the figure on behalf of this charity, says it is accompanied by "a lot of mystery".

"No-one really knows the true origins of the outline of the figure. Some people think that it's Neolithic, some people think that it's Iron Age, Roman, the Druids claim him for their own as well," he told Secret Sussex.

The giant on the hill

Neal said the figure was originally thought by some to be "an indentation in the side of the hill".

This tallies up with Rowley's drawing which suggests the original figure was a shadow or indentation, rather than a solid line.

Until the 19th Century when it was marked out in yellow bricks, the Long Man was only visible in certain light conditions.

Since then the figure has been redrawn and restored several times, and during the World War Two it was deliberately obscured with green paint.

The yellow bricks were replaced in the 20th Century.

Neal said: "Although he looks like a chalk figure, he is actually made out of concrete blocks at the moment which were put in in 1969."

James Neale at the Long Man of Wilmington. James is wearing a brown coat and is carrying a bag. He has graying hair and is smiling to camera. — James Neal, the guardian of the Long Man of Wilmington, visits the monument twice a year to check it over

When asked why the Long Man is in this specific location, Neal says the true answer is unknown but the area does have "a strong relationship to the constellation of Orion".

This enduring mystery feeds into the "spiritual undertones" which Neal says he feels characterises the entire area.

Whether it was intended as a territorial marker, a religious symbol, a piece of early landscape art, or something else entirely is still unknown, and may never be.

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