Monday, 25 March 2019

Wilmington

The Long Man Of Wilmington

The peaceful village of Wilmington is situated in the South Downs in East Sussex not far from the seaside town of Eastbourne. This Saxon village was originally known as Wineltone. The 12th century church of St Mary and St Peter sits peacefully in the village along with the remains of a 12th century priory. 

Just above the village on the slopes of Windover Hill is "The Long Man of Wilmington", a hill figure of a giant man holding two "staves". It was originally thought the the figure dated back to the Iron Age or the Neolithic period however, it is now thought that the figure may have been cut in the 16th or 17th centuries.

The village dates back to at least Saxon times with evidence of a Saxon fortified hill village and pre-Saxon burial mounds on nearby Windover Hill. Wilmington Priory was built in the 12th century by the Abbot of Grestain, probably on the site of an original church. The priory was an administrative and spiritual cell for Benedictine Monks. 

The South Downs Near Wilmington


The South Downs Near Wilmington

Church of St Mary and St Peter
This pretty flint church was built just after the priory at the beginning of the 12th century. The church has been altered and added to many times, particularly during the 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th and 20th centuries. In the churchyard is an ancient Yew tree thought to be around 1,600 years old. 



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