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Watercolour by Charles William Taylor, 1868-1960, Findon artist, showing Findon below Church Hill. |
This website created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.
WOODPECKER HILL
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Watercolour by Charles William Taylor, 1868-1960, Findon artist, showing Findon below Church Hill. |
Copyright Valerie Martin, 1998.
First published in Along the Furlong, May 1998.
I have discovered that the name of Findon has been spelt in different ways over the centuries. The meanings have become jumbled and vary greatly. The "Fin" may mean "fair", and the "dun" may be a "hill" or "hill fort", which does makes sense when remembering Findon’s location. The spelling has altered from Fintona, Fintune, and Findune.
The latter is attributed to the Domesday Book, and some think that the derivations point either to meaning "woodheap hill", or "a heap of wood" — a good description of the slope of the downs and woodland behind St. John the Baptist Church.
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Sunset over Church Hill Shaw, Christmas 1999. |
Another meaning could be "woodpecker hill", which is my own favourite derivation. This still has relevance today for anyone who has witnessed the number of woodpeckers busily engaged in chipping at the spire of St. John the Baptist Church.
Continue if you would like to read about the Findon Anchorites at St. John the Baptist Church.
This is Findon Village —
www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created exclusively for documenting life in Findon.|
E-mail: valeriemartin@findonvillage.com |
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