Westmeston is easy to miss. Tucked beneath the northern escarpment of the South Downs between Ditchling and Plumpton, it consists of little more than a church, a handful of houses and a crossroads. Many people drive through without a second glance. Yet this tiny Sussex village packs an extraordinary historical punch, with connections stretching from a Saxon king and Danish queen to Norman lords and Queen Victoria herself.
I arrived in search of a queen. I found two
Or rather, I arrived in search of a giant V. The V of trees, to be exact.
If you are driving from Ditchling towards Lewes via Plumpton, you will round a bend at Westmeston and then, before reaching Plumpton, notice a distinctive V-shaped clump of trees high on the Downs to your right. Visible for miles across the Sussex landscape, it is one of those landmarks that always evokes a discussion amongst those that notice it.
Known as the Jubilee Plantation, the trees were planted in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. Around 3,000 trees were reportedly planted on the steep north-facing scarp creating the distinctive giant V. It was a very Victorian gesture; an act of commemoration written directly onto the landscape.
Local folklore has attached itself to the plantation over the years. Some believed the V stood for Victory and commemorated the end of the Second World War. Others suggested it acted as a navigational aid for returning pilots or concealed some secret meaning known only to those who created it. Some say, there was also an A for Albert which didn’t survive. None of these theories appears to be true, but they demonstrate how thoroughly the landmark has embedded itself in local imagination.
More recently, local farmers reportedly attempted to create an E for Elizabeth. They cleared ash trees and scrubland at Firle but struggled with Ash Dieback but if you look carefully, you can make it out.
The best way to appreciate the plantation is to walk to it
From opposite St Martin’s Church, a bridleway climbs steadily up the Westmeston Bostal towards the Downs, revealing ever-expanding views across Sussex. Alternatively, walkers can start from the car park at Ditchling Beacon and follow the South Downs Way east. If you have climbed up from Westmeston village, at the top, you turn left and follow the ridge of the Downs and the South Downs Way until the first footpath / bridlepath to your left (about one kilometre). This doubles back and down taking you past the top of the V formation and eventually back down to the village. The total distance of the circular route from the village is about 4 km.
Note: parking in Westmeston is extremely limited but there is a bus stop by the church.
Standing amongst the trees is a very different experience from viewing them from below. Only then do you appreciate the sheer steepness of the escarpment and the remarkable effort required to plant thousands of trees on such a challenging slope. Looking down across the landscape, it is also easy to understand why the plantation became such a recognisable landmark.
Yet what fascinated me most was not the plantation itself but the response when I shared photographs of it on social media. Almost immediately, people began sharing memories passed down through parents and grandparents. Some recalled relatives involved in planting or maintaining the trees. Others remembered stories told by older family members. Most remarkably of all, two contributors discovered they were related, connected through a common ancestor whose memories of the V had been passed down through different branches of the family.
Suddenly the plantation felt like far more than a Victorian monument. It had become a living repository of local memory.
King Ealdwulf of Sussex
Back at the crossroads in Westmeston, another royal connection awaits. Opposite St Martin’s Church stands a stone marking the resting place of King Ealdwulf of Sussex, who died around AD 765. It stands quietly without much fanfare or ceremony.
Little is known about Ealdwulf. He appears in a handful of surviving charters alongside fellow Sussex rulers Oslac, Osmund and Ælfwald during the final decades of the independent Kingdom of Sussex. In 771, the powerful King Offa of Mercia defeated the South Saxons near Hastings. The Sussex rulers were allowed to retain some authority but lost the title of king, marking the beginning of the end for the independent kingdom.
In many ways, Ealdwulf is the opposite of Queen Victoria. Victoria left monuments, jubilees and a vast historical record. Ealdwulf survives only as a shadowy figure glimpsed through a few surviving documents and a simple stone in a quiet village beneath the Downs.
The other queen
The church deserves attention too. Founded shortly after 1100, St Martin’s Church contains Norman and early English features, a 12th-century font and bells dating back to 1636. It also once contained something quite remarkable. In 1862, a series of dramatic Norman wall paintings featuring life-sized figures was discovered. Thought by some to have been painted by monks from of the great Cluniac Priory at Lewes, the paintings were described as vivid and colourful. Sadly, they have since disappeared, apparently falling victim to later restoration.
Beyond the church wall stands the handsome former rectory, while the village itself has roots stretching back long before the Norman Conquest. Before 1066, the manor was held by Countess Gytha. Gytha was the daughter of Danish chieftain and mother of King Harold. Afterwards, Westmeston passed into the hands of William de Warenne, one of William the Conqueror’s most trusted supporters and one of the most powerful Norman lords in England.
Not bad for a village many people barely notice as they drive through. Westmeston may be small, but it is layered with history. A Saxon king. A Victorian queen. A Danish queen (or at least, queen mother). Lost Norman masterpieces. Norman lords. Ancient routes climbing the Downs and a plantation visible for miles across Sussex.
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