This website, created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

FOX DOWN'S WATER PROBLEM

Text copyright Valerie Martin 1999

The working of an animal painter has special requirements and I consider that Edwin James Douglas was a specialist in the art field — he painted animal portraits and did commissions for Queen Victoria among others. The artist loved dogs and I think his favourites seemed to be the English Setters as he painted these most often.

Edwin Douglas decided to move house in an attempt to improve his wife's health.  Christiana and Edwin came to live in Crescent Road, Worthing in 1890 while their new house was built in Findon.  Edwin had purchased downland on the north side of Cissbury Ring, some four hundred feet above sea level on the outskirts of Findon Village.

Fred Barrett the successful jockey of his era, now owned the racing stables in the distance. Fred Barrett was born in 1867 and was the younger brother of the famous George Barrett and was a successful jockey in his own right.  

Unfortunately, he went down in turf history more for his misdemeanours than his victories.    Such as taking things too easily on Donovan in the 2000 Guineas and for jabbing Ayrshire on one side only with his spurs in a Derby and causing the colt to veer suddenly.   Nevertheless, he did lead the list of winning jockeys for 1888 with a total of 108 victories.   He died in 1895.
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During the winter of 1892 the frost played havoc with the plaster and cement in the new property that Edwin Douglas was constructing.. It was not until 13th April that the family, complete with nine children and dogs, could move to their new house called Fox Down, secluded in one acre of its own land and surrounded by open downland. Edwin's wife, Christiana, fell in love with it and described it as "our mountain home". The new house included a stable and coach-house, not forgetting Edwin’s commodious art studio that soon became cluttered with half finished cattle portrayals and horse portraits.

When Edwin chose his plot of land it appears he forgot the water problem in Findon. Water has always been a concern for villagers, and no less so for the eminent animal painter in his elegant property high on the Down. To sink a well at such an altitude would have incurred enormous expense with no certainty of success.

From his window, Edwin noticed that his neighbour, Albert Short of Findon Farm, had solved the problem on adjacent land he used for grazing. The local farmer considered himself the inventor of the solution but such contrivances have been known elsewhere. This being in the shape of corrugated iron sheets which he had soldered together on a frame with a slight gradient, so that rainwater fell into side gutters and through an opening to a tank.

The prudent artist borrowed the plan from the worthy farmer and constructed an area of 30 ft. by 20 ft. of corrugated sheeting on his own land. This was enclosed with wire to keep out livestock. (Edwin Douglas owned Highland cattle and horned sheep on his land, which he brought into his studio as models for his famous paintings).

The tank, which was cemented, was 20 ft. deep by 6 ft. wide and arched up to a dome. Edwin said that this held four months’ drinking water and in addition he had a trough filled each morning for a number of animals. For household purposes, he had another tank supplied from the roof of Fox Down. The total cost of this venture was £22.

During 1897, the Downs were used for military operations from the Worthing Camp and troops frequently marched passed Fox Down and greatly appreciated the supply of water. The drought lasted nearly four months and by the autumn, Edwin still had six weeks’ supply of water remaining in the tank. An answer to the water problem had been found thanks to Mr. Short. It proved successful on all counts and was never to be out of order during the dry summers ahead.

The following year, Edwin had reason to complain to the Musketry Office in Dover because of the danger of bullets reaching Fox Down from the Cissbury Range.

Action was taken and one section of the range was closed. No doubt, the defenders of the island continued to take advantage of Edwin Douglas’ conserved water.

Christiana, who loved her "mountain home", died of tuberculosis in October 1901, aged 52 and was buried in the cemetery at Broadwater in Worthing.

Edwin Douglas died in 1914 and very soon after this Fox Down was sold and finally demolished. The fine property had stood for barely 25 years. All that remains are a few scarred trees and scrub and often a billowing bonfire on the site burning straw from the local racing stables.

Continue if you would like to read about Edwin Douglas and Lord Yaxham.