Sussex trees come in all shapes and sizes, and many of them are pretty amazing. Some are so old, they date back to Roman times, some are super tall or large, a few have had royal visitors, and just a couple come with some fascinating folklore! Like the Midsummer Tree, at Broadwater Green just north of Worthing or the fig trees of Tarring.
Where and what is the Worthing Midsummer Tree?
The Worthing Midsummer Tree is tucked away in a nondescript corner of Broadwater Green just south of the Grove Lodge roundabout. It is easy to miss, but when you find it, it comes with a little plaque. It’s an old oak tree, said to be about 300 years old and as you can see, very hollow. As you can also see, there is an old legend about it that on Midsummer’s Eve, skeletons would rise from the tree’s roots and dance around it until dawn, before disappearing back into the ground.
What are the Tarring Fig trees?
If you are in the Worthing area, you might spot the Thomas A Becket pub and wonder why it’s called that. Well, it is believed that Thomas Becket (yes, the Archbishop murdered at Canterbury Cathedral) often stayed in Tarring at what is now the Old Palace (a 13th and 15th century house and hall, built on the site of Becket’s Palace and converted into a rectory during the Reformation). It is thought that Becket may have planted a fig garden there in about 1162.
These days, there are the remains of an ancient fig garden (which still bear fruit) in private gardens in South Street. These are known to have existed since 1745 and there is a story that says that these fig trees were grown from cuttings from the original trees planted by Becket. The Tarring Fig Gardens have a long history and at their zenith, there were about 100 good size trees producing thousands of figs a year for sale at Covent Garden. Indeed, the gardens were such a popular attraction that they had their own teashop in the 19th century and at one point (and amidst much speculation), an old dead fig tree supposed to be one of the ones planted by Beckett was still standing.
These days, not many fig trees remain from those halcyon days, but on one day of the year in July residents are obliged by law to open up their gardens for free to members of the public.
Other Worthing myths and legends
Worthing is believed to have had its own knucker. A knucker is a wingless and serpent-like water dragon said to live in deep, water-filled pools known as knuckerholes. Knuckers get up to a great deal of not very nice mischief. There is a knuckerhole at Lyminster and legend has it that another knucker lived in Worthing by Ham Bridge. And while we are talking of serpents, there is said that there was a tunnel that led from the now-demolished medieval Offington Hall to the Neolithic flint mines at Cissbury. Apparently there was treasure in the tunnel but it was guarded by large, hissing serpents!
FromMuseum & Art Gallery will be hosting a new exhibition that explores local folklore.
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