Findon Village Antiquities - The War Over Findon

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — these Findon Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and contain scenes from her home village of Findon,
West Sussex, U.K. Everyday stories about real people.

THE SHEEP FAIR RETURNS TO FINDON AFTER THE WAR - 1947

What happened in 1947? Quite a bit. Of the 14 towns in Sussex, nearby Worthing was second in the list of residents owning television sets.... totalling 34. Worthing was only seven sets behind Brighton.

I wonder if Findon inhabitants heard the shock waves attributed to the explosion at Brest in 1947? The vessel was called OCEAN LIBERTY and it is said that the tremors of the blast lasted for ten seconds and rattled windows and doors of properties in nearby Worthing.

Nepcote Green was deserted and void of sheep for seven long years — their place was taken by military vehicles — Churchill tanks, parked under the beech trees which lined the Cissbury Estate to the south of the Green, and alongside the Wattle House. Between the 1939/45 years, two families occupied the accommodation at the Wattle House and paid a rent of 10s.9d. a week for their accommodation and vegetable plot. No, I did not say "garden"... just a veggie plot. There was no garden as such at the Wattle House but during World War II, patches at the rear and to west and east sides of the Wattle House were dug up and used for growing vegetables for the survival of the inhabitants.

After the Second World War, the Lamb Fair which was held annually in July, was the first to return from West Grinstead to Nepcote Green. The date was 1947. The so-called "Findon" Sheep Fairs had been a huge success at their temporary location at West Grinstead during the war-long exile of seven years. The local farmers did not altogether want the annual events to return to Findon as one of the advantages of West Grinstead was the nearness of the railway station.

However, tradition won, and the September Sheep Fair also reverted to its birthplace and the sale of sheep resumed its slot as the late-summer event for everyone to enjoy on Nepcote Green again.

I understand that there was brisk bidding for an unexpectedly large number of sheep in 1947. Some 8,000 animals were penned on the Green to celebrate the Findon Sheep Fair's return to its home village.

Many eager buyers travelled down from the Midlands — Coventry and Wolverhampton — to replenish flocks diminished by the year's disastrous cold spell. There were also the usual keen visitors from the West Country and from Wales. The auctioned flocks travelled long distances to reach their final destinations in those post-war years.

Prices in 1947 general showed a considerable increase over previous years owing to a recent rise in the Ministry of Food killing prices. Top price for ewe lambs was £8.15s. For ram Suffolk lambs £26.5s. and for mixed lambs £5.11s. A big feature of the day was the disposal of the Southdown flock belonging to Mr. C. Y. Vickery of Crypt House & Horley Farms at Cocking, Midhurst. The flock sold for £700 and the farmer emigrated to a warmer climate in South Africa.

Cissbury Ring, formed the perfect backcloth to this rural showpiece in 1947 as stallholders chatted amongst themselves and sold their wares. Children stopped to pat the sheep and weather-worn, ruddy-faced figures went about the annual business of buying and selling. In 1947 there was no thought that the Sheep Fair would ever be on the decline.

Two years later, in 1949, fifty railway trucks were needed to transport the sheep that had been driven over the Downs to the railway station at Steyning following the Findon Sheep Fair. No one even dreamed that farmers' conversation at the pens in the future would be about the possible demise of this rural institution, the auctioning of sheep on Nepcote Green. The Sheep Fair on Nepcote Green is now only a shadow of its former self but our memories remain.

Continue if you would like to read about Shep Norgate and Johnnie.

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — was launched by Valerie Martin in January 1999 and will grow to be a historical record of life in Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

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Do let me know of anything you hear about Findon - not too controversial. Please note that opinions expressed in the Findon Chronicles are not necessarily reflective of my own thoughts.... but sometimes they are!