The Long Man of Wilmington The Long Man of Wilmington, or Wilmington Giant, is a 226 foot high hill figure cut into the downland turf on the 28° slope of Windover Hill and facing slightly east of north towards the weald, the Giant is one of the largest such representations of a man anywhere in the world, being second only to the Giant Of Attacama in Chile who stands 393 feet high. The outline of the Long Man was originally marked out in packed chalk which the grass grew over and he stands holding what appear to be two staves either side of him. While the height of the man is 226 feet, the staves are 230 feet and 235 feet respectively with the width between the staves being almost exactly half that. His length may be the reason for his current name as he is constructed so as to appear in proper proportion on the ground, even though he seems rather elongated from the air. If his proportion is taken literally, he is a well built man for his height, though correct proportion can only be seen exactly from the around 65 metres in the air above the church. While his construction is excellent, the symmetry, as currently viewed, is not perfect. The staves are about 2 feet closer together at the bottom than at the top and the figure itself is not quite central within the staves. Historical information on the figure is sketchy at best though the best modern treatment given is in the book "The Wilmington Giant" by Rodney Castleden who will be bringing out a revised edition early in the year 2000 which will include details of new resistivity surveys. The origin of the giant remains a mystery, even the original outline is probably not the same as it is today. The Giant is one of two hill figures in Sussex, the other being a White Horse at Litlington, and is currently owned, along with Wilmington Priory and 2 acres of downland, by the Sussex Archaeological Society, to which it was given by the 9th Duke of Devonshire on the 10th of October, 1925. |
