WE all need a bit of a spruce up from time to time and this giant is no different.

The Long Man of Wilmington, who is 235 feet tall, is now looking a lot brighter after his new paint job.

A team from the Sussex Archeological Society, along with a group of volunteers, used 80 litres of paint and spent two days giving the Long Man a new lease of life.

The group made the tiring climb up the steep slope armed with shears to trim the grass and paintbrushes to re-coat the blocks that form the outline of the historic landmark.

The Long Man is repainted every four years. This time around the paint and brushes for the project were donated by Brewers Decorator Centre in Eastbourne.

Volunteers were fortunate with the weather for the job.

Any rain prior to and during the work would have caused problems drying the paint.

Society chief executive Tristan Bareham said: “In 2013, hundreds of scouts helped to repaint this wonderful, iconic monument.

“In 2017, members from our skills for the future team, our staff from Michelham Priory and some hardy and dedicated volunteers have scaled the Long Man.

“He now looks suitably refreshed and ready to welcome passers-by and visitors to the Sussex Downs for the next four years.”

Once the work was done Mr Bareham gave a follow up talk about the history of the Long Man at nearby Michelham Library, which was followed by a question and answer session.

The team were given free access to Michelham’s house and gardens for the day as a thank you.

The Long Man has baffled archaeologists and historians for hundreds of years.

The society says who created the landmark remains a mystery.

Many people are convinced he is prehistoric while others believe he was the work of an artistic monk from the nearby priory between the 11th and 15th centuries.

Roman coins bearing a similar figure suggest that he belongs to the 4th century AD .

The society says there may be parallels with a helmeted figure found on Anglo-Saxon ornaments.

In 1925 the site of the Long Man was given to the Sussex Archaeological Trust, which is now the Sussex Archaeological Society, by the Duke of Devonshire.

During the Second World War the figure was painted green to prevent enemy aviators using it as a landmark.

In 1969 further restoration took place and the bricks were replaced with pre-cast concrete blocks.

The terracettes, which are horizontal ripples in the turf, change constantly as the soil is rolled downhill by weathering and animal activity.