| Share page |
|
NEAR WORTHING 195
" The little rustic village in the deep dene, with its two or three hundred inhabitants, will probably outlast London, or at all events London's greatness; and the stolid shepherd with his dog at his feet will doubtless stand watching his flock on the hillside for some thousands of years to come; but these great, slow, patient oxen cannot go on dragging the plough much longer; the wonder is that they have continued to the present time. One gazes lovingly at them, and on leaving them casts many a longing, lingering look behind, fearing that after a little while their place will know them no more."
But let us return to Washington. It was on Chancton Farm, close at hand, a remarkable find of Saxon coins was made in 1866. For some time Saxon pennies were cheap at Washington, and a number sufficient to fill a half-pint pewter pot are said to have changed hands for a quart of Sussex ale. As I have mentioned before, the ale at the Washington Inn—which by the way is the Franklin Arms, I presume—is according to Mr. Hilaire Belloc the world's best brew, so we must suppose that the rustic received good value for the pennies. It appears that for centuries a tradition had existed that " treasure " was secreted at Chancton Farm and the ghost of an old white-bearded man was said to guard it. Blackmore says in " Alice Lorraine " :
" A well-known landmark now, and the scene of many |
||