Landmark repainting postponed due to weather

An investigation found evidence suggesting the figure was from the 16th or 17th century

The planned repainting of the Long Man of Wilmington on the South Downs in East Sussex has been delayed because of poor weather.

The maintenance had been planned for Thursday and has now been postponed until 23 May.

The repainting is the finale to a fundraising campaign to support the work of The Sussex Archaeological Society, the charitable organisation at the heart of Sussex Past, that owns and cares for the landmark.

A Sussex Past spokesperson said: "It’s a real shame but we have to put the safety of the participants first, climbing that hill in wet weather wouldn’t be fun."

The fundraising campaign has raised more than £10,000 to support work to protect and preserve Sussex heritage, with almost 300 people donating to the cause.

An archaeological investigation in 2003 found evidence suggesting that the Long Man figure dated back to the 16th or 17th Century, Sussex Past said.

In 2021 a facemask was painted on the figure, which is on a hill on the South Downs.