THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE - The Blackpatch Hillside in the Early 1900s

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

THE BLACKPATCH HILLSIDE (TQ 0909) IN THE EARLY 1900s

In November 2007, Peter Archbold in New Zealand emailed to say ."Dear Valerie, Have you got it yet??? Are you going to show it to all of us? Please!".

What is Peter talking about do you think? .... well, it was a watercolour scene of agricultural workers at Tolmare Farm below the Blackpatch hillside early in the twentieth century by E. H. Marten (1865-1955).

Here's the full painting....

click on photographs to enlarge all of my images

The Victorian artist, Elliot Henry Marten, worked in oils before taking up watercolours. He exhibited his works from 1886-1910. He lived for a time in Sussex, including West Tarring and Arundel and I guess that is why he roamed the Sussex countryside and there are a number of paintings of this area.

Here is the same scene in November 2007.... many decades after Elliot executed his watercolour.

A close up view of the Blackpatch hillside in November 2007.

Blackpatch hillside behind the Long Furlong Road, A280, in November 2007.

The Blackpatch hillside from Cissbury Ring in November 2007.

November 2007

Valerie.....What a lovely painting!

It looks to me as if the workers are making a grain stack - using a mechanical sheaf elevator. It would probably have been belt driven from a steam traction engine - out of sight behind the hedge! Is my guess right?

If that was painted in 1900 - or earlier - that must have been state of the art farm machinery.

I don't know when they first came into use. I CAN remember using a pitchfork to do that job in 1944... No such mechanical aids!

And lovely "comparative" photographs, too.

Peter Archbold, South Island, New Zealand.

Here's another delightful watercolour. This time of Chanctonbury Ring from the Storrington Road.....by E. H. Marten.....long before the hurricane....

This is Church Hill in Findon from above Washington Bostal....... and I do mean ABOVE...... it was a long climb up the track on the way to Chanctonbury Ring to discover the exact spot where the artist sat. By the way the artist was, of course, E. H. Marten.

Here is his depiction of the nearby beach at Shoreham... which makes it look rather like the Caribbean to me!

The River Arun at Burpham by E. H. Martin

Chanctonbury Ring from Washington by E. H. Marten

South Downs near Lewes by E. H. Marten

Cissbury Ring by E. H. Marten

I have been told that E. H. Marten finally moved to Kent where he died at Rochester in 1955.

Continue if you would like to read about the local artist, Ronald Windebank and Findon cricket in He Ran Away to Sea at Age 14

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.

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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!