The Quest For England - The Mysterious Monument

[@daveevad]

Lovely views and three seats to the wind...

[@markgriffiths3301]

Hello Richard. I was the chap on the bike you met just outside Washington. Good to meet you. I’ll stop to check out the monument next time I’m riding that route. All the best.

[@RichardVobes]

Really nice to meet you! Hope you had a fabulous bike ride.

[@annwright7552]

Just googled Charles Spencer Denman and found he led a very interesting life. He lived at Highden House, Washington, which is now Windlesham School. So I'm guessing this memorial is on part of the Highden estate. Others who are local will know of him I'm sure. What fabulous views from there. Thankyou Richard 😁

[@CosmicClaire99]

I was at Windlesham as a child. The Denman family own the surrounding farmland. They leased Highden to the Malden family (who founded and ran the school for its first 150 years) when the school needed to upsize from the Montpelier site in Brighton in the 1930s. Apparently it is still owned by the Denmans and let to the school on a semi-perpetual lease. There is an art deco style house that was built in the '30s when the school moved in, in 1937, where Lord Denman and family live, up the side valley behind Windlesham. I'm glad to see those verges on the dual carriageway being cleared, a few years ago I went back to visit Windlesham for an alumni event and I didn't know that the bus stop at the end of the drive was no longer there, so I had to get off at the South Downs Way stop and walk back on the grass verge, where I got a branch in my eye! Then as I was going up the back drive to Windlesham Lady Denman was driving past and stopped to vet me! I passed the test when she found out I was an alumni :-) The pupils walked along the verge one Remembrance Sunday in the '60s to go to the service at the lovely church in Washington. Not so much traffic back then! And those banks of leaves are wild garlic, otherwise known as ramsons. I have tons in my garden which were started from only two about fifteen years ago and now they are everywhere. Pick a few leaves and put them in your cheese sandwich, delicious!

[@chrisf4049]

another great walk fantastic views a nice place for a memorial all those wild plants and Ramsons or wild garlic cheers richard.

[@denniskavanagh3075]

Thank you Richard for today's walk and video, some lovely views of the South Downs. There is some information about Charles Spencer Denman (5th baron Denman) available on line. Because in his later years he lived in West Sussex I imagine that him and his family would also enjoy these views, and therefore had the monument placed there.

[@RichardVobes]

Thanks for the info!

[@gramps6718]

Another interesting walk, Richard, thanks

[@RichardVobes]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@daisylorenzo1110]

Good morning mr Richard. Another interesting walk mr Richard thanks.it is so beautiful when you walking you cannot feel tired because of the nature.I hope and I pray I can go there if gods will and my boyfriend will not change of heart.thank you god bless you.

[@iandance8591]

Thanks for sharing . I was Christened in that church. Somewhere down the lane you walked was my first home I lived in with my parents , it was a tied cottage that went with my Dads job as a farm hand. apparently my Dad used to plough the fields with me cosily wrapped up and placed in a large toolbox at his feet while my mum tended the cows, of course I have no memory of this. PS the plant with the broad leaf was definitely wild garlic, and makes delicious soup. Great work👍

[@MrGreatplum]

The plant you saw by the side of the lane is wild garlic - you can make pesto from the leaves and when it flowers (which it will shortly) you can smell the garlic smell - they are white alium style flowers and are a sign of ancient woodland. Looking up Charles Denman, he was a local landowner (he was bought up in the building that’s now Windelsham house school) - I believe the family still owns much of the land around there!

[@MrNas42]

We went wild garlic picking yesterday to may some soup!

[@turbosteve65]

Enjoy the film the music reminded me of one of those old spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood

[@mikesaunders4775]

The Good, The Bald, and The ugly?

[@tonidaverodgers9721]

LOL....thought the same thing actually.

[@tonidaverodgers9721]

That panoramic view as you'd approached the monument is gorgeous! Your walks give me such a longing for the place of my birth and my aunts, uncles and cousins in Worthing. Thank you so much for doing what you do Richard. I'm living vicariously by watching your video's.

[@Nick_r]

They’re cutting down Ash trees in Eastbourne too. It’s because of Ash Die Back disease, the roots become rotten and the tree is then liable to fall. Last year they cleared loads in the Butts Brow area and East Dean Hill.

[@kezzaba1]

Wild Garlic or Ramsons, one of my favourite spring flowers. We grow them in the garden and use them in cooking anywhere you want a mild garlic taste. Pesto, soup, and we have wrapped them around chicken thighs and roasted in the oven. Yum yum. The flowers are excellent in salads.

[@sherryallen4537]

Thank you Richard for another lovely walk! That view was spectacular!

[@mikesaunders4775]

A beautiful walk Richard, and an intriguing monument. The rock is not local ,or even an erratic (probably), so someone earned their money lugging it up that hillside .Stay well.

[@annwright7552]

Wide leaves are definitely Wild Garlic, makes delicious Pesto 😋

[@RichardVobes]

Good to know!

[@CharlieCooper3101]

Great video Richard, some lovely views and great bit of countryside, what a lovely monument.

[@damianjones7554]

Another lovely spring walk

[@Ferda1964]

Mary does wonderful knitting work .

[@shirleylynch7529]

Thoroughly enjoyed that walk. Beautiful flora and fauna and views. Hard work getting that monument up there. So interesting. Thank you.

[@williamk9490]

The wild Garlic flowers are also nice to eat as well as the leaves

[@andyalder7910]

Surely the broken off bits are just what was cut out to make the the seats.

[@smoath]

Lovely video Richard

[@heathwagaman5566]

Those green leaves look very similar to what we call lily pads over here in the US. They're usually seen around small bodies of water such as ponds or creeks. Beautiful walk , it's surprising how much open space the southeast of England still has. I suppose the congestion often referred to is more towards the London commuter belt.

[@dedestephens4229]

I’ve read that if your area has a lot of lichen and moss the air is pretty clean. The leaves that covered the ground is very nice. It covers very well and I wish I knew what it is. I’m not sure how you find your way around but I love how your country has all these foot paths that even go through peoples land. We have hiking trails but not on others property. The monument is interesting. Not really decorative but it looks more like a private monument and maybe a place they liked to go to. It’s very interesting. Enjoyed your walk as always and spending time with you.

[@Areworth]

Yes I agree with other comments the wide leaved plant looked like wild garlic. You can usually get a scent of it to confirm x

[@willstonvelo8100]

Hi Richard, on the memorial the stones on the ground are the cut outs where the names are, smashing views from their. Cracking vids, nice to see the area I cycle round as only just live down the road in Beeding all best Will 🍻👍🚵

[@toff358]

A gloriously sunny day, even if the wind was chilly... So much spring greenery and so many sweepingly lovely views. A very nice and practical monument to what I would assume would be local people of note.

[@angelarowlands6172]

I see, someone has put Wild Garlic. I thought they were. Lovely views. Nice memorial to view the views.

[@Stringtrees]

A lovely walk. Those views are well worth the walk I think. I hope this chilly weather passes soon though. All the answers already provide din the comments which was very handy. I must admit I fancy the idea of wild garlic soup.

[@welshmanjasonpatrick8607]

Looks nice walk in country side see old monument good weather should be better when cold days gon better weather u videos are good and intring

[@andyjarman4958]

The leaves on the bank are wild garlic or Ramsons. Come back in a few weeks they will be in flower.

[@RichardVobes]

I would recognise them in flower most likely.

[@CosmicClaire99]

@@RichardVobes They have a white star shaped flower that rapidly sets to become a five sided (I think) green pod.

[@andrewpoloni4197]

Are those pieces of stone on the ground the pieces cut from the master stone to make the seats and inscriptions perhaps?

[@RichardVobes]

Oh yes - maybe - fancy leaving them strewn around though.

[@philipcollins2691]

@@RichardVobes I think they were left strewn around to make extra seats !!

[@leighlawson4854]

@@RichardVobes not strewn about - it's all part of the sculpture showing how it was made. I think it's a beautiful idea in this natural setting.

[@SidBonkers51]

The bits that you said had broken off, are they not the pieces that were cut out for the three seats? Laying were they fell.

[@RichardVobes]

A shame not to tidy them up.

[@jeanblemings5352]

It looked very clear with good visibility for those views. And amazing cloud formations. Maybe the scattered stones are giants footrests for the sleeping spirits of the hills who sit in the seats when no mortals are around!

[@rogerbrown162]

Hi Richard. A lovely walk. The Lichen (you say Litchin - I say Liken!) you saw on the posts was Xanthoria. The hills in the distance from the stone seat must be towards Leith Hill in Surrey?

[@ricky-d]

Was great to meet you on the return journey from the hill and talk on the way down to Washington. A lovely walk indeed this is. This area is one of my favourites to wander, as was my granddad's who loved to roam here. He had some interesting tales of his explorations back in the early 50's I'd like to share with you if you are ever back on these paths again.

[@RichardVobes]

It was lovely to meet you and have the chat on the way back. I think we had the best part of the day!

[@davidbarlow350]

A tanktop? Don't tell me you're reforming The Bay City Rollers!

[@lionelmarytravels6003]

That plant on the bank looked like Wild Garlic. Lovely countryside around there, but you must have been cold on top of that hill. It was certainly very cold in the wind around my area yesterday.

[@nagram503917]

Be carful that it is wild garlic if it needs to smells of garlic. It grows along with another plants that has no garlic smell and if eaten it can kill you. They look the same so watch what you put into your pesto Richard. I like your show a lot so no taking chances on wild foraging

[@jonathanfox1355]

Well done B.E. That's a stiff climb that one. I know it well.

[@Gez-C]

I only ran past this at the weekend and did wonder who the people were who it was built for!

[@sarahstrong7174]

Ah that plant is Ramsons, some call them Ramps. Wild Garlic. As well as making Pesto you can put them in sandwiches or cook them as greens. That lichen can be used for dying wool.

[@steammachine3061]

Was just about to post its wild garlic lol. But was better too it. Its everywhere at this time of year and an incredibly tasty spring green

[@NikonRules303]

Where do you find those musical tracks? Love them!

[@RichardVobes]

Artlis.io - a great library of music.

[@NikonRules303]

@@RichardVobes thanks Richard. I like to walk with my FitBit and I love listening to your videos as I get my 10,000 steps in. I will check out the music as well. Thank you for taking the time to make your videos. They are such a nice break from my day and you seem to have the same passions as I do... and birthday 😀. One day if you run out of material, lol, maybe go to White Clouds and show us the home of T. E. Lawrence. He was such an interesting person.

[@barryrice157]

I saw the trees on the A24 last Friday Richard, it looks like Ash die back clearance. The green plant you asked about growing on the banks looks like wild Garlic.

[@RichardVobes]

Thanks, Barry.

[@andyjarman4958]

Those trees cut down on the road verge, do you reckon they were ash and that was an exercise in quarantining ask wilt?

[@RichardVobes]

Could be.

[@ramibu239]

What a beautiful walk! Lovely church & houses. Beautiful Daffodils, primroses & violets - & yes, everyone is right about the green leaves being Ramson (soon to bloom). Gorgeous blue sky & fluffly clouds. Stunning panoramic views. What more could you ask for?!😊 Btw...was that the same pair of donkeys we met in another video a couple of months ago?🤔

[@rodthompson4620]

Would love you to include a map of your route so I could follow in your footsteps

[@bullettube9863]

Interesting walk up and down the hills! By the looks of the soil you must be walking across chalk, really strange that England has so much but according to a film I saw England was once entirely under the ocean when it was part of Pangea. Wikipedia has a page devoted to Charles Spencer Denman, 5th Baron Denman, who led quite an interesting life. I believe those long leaves belong to a wild garlic like plant, some people I know collect the leaves, crush them and add them to salads and pesto. Not sure if the are native to England, and I know they are not native in America.

[@RichardVobes]

The south downs are all of chalk, yes.

[@PossumsAreJerks]

Plants on the banks: juvenile triffids.

[@helengiddings267]

As everyone has said , wild garlic. Quite a climb up that path. Know it well.

[@orangeedo]

i just hope the monument isn't put on an old pagan stone. I looks very weathered.

[@JR_Taylor]

How high did you get?

[@deanmc178]

wild garlic

[@robertbray8590]

Hmm there a set for the Parents set for the Daughter but no name on there third. Did they has a still birth that set for that child if it lived but was loved or there another child and has not dead yet so name not been put on there.

[@messaoudsouadi3598]

Mr RICHARD CAN YOU HELP ME TO GIVE ME NEWS ABOUT MY OLD FRIEND Louise emry leaved in 11 robins drive Aldwick Bognor regis sussex England thank you so much .

[@RichardVobes]

I don't know him

[@messaoudsouadi3598]

@@RichardVobes thank you and good luck , she is a woman , i meet her in PARIS 1980 .

[@coliniancooke8848]

"AT someone's behest" or "on his behalf " :-)

[@RichardVobes]

at his behest actually. :)

[@davidcarver9587]

Ash die back will be chipped later

[@RichardVobes]

Chop it for fire wood and send it to me.

[@rosierennie5867]

I want to know how you're not verified yet. Give me this kind of content over horrid music and stupid "pranks" any day