Englands White Horses
The white horses of England
There are chalk cut figures all over England, but I wanted to highlight just a few.
Uffington White Horse (Bronze Age, perhaps 3500 years old) - England’s oldest geoglyph, is 3,000 years old. It’s in the area where Saint George allegedly slew his allegorical dragon and is by far the most remarkable site of the 16. The 360-foot long figure was a well-established geological feature long before it first popped up in an 11th century historical reference. After nearby silt was dated in 1990, researchers discovered the ancient horse was originally cut during the Bronze Age.
Westbury (1778) - the oldest of the White Horses located on Westbury Hill, Bratton Down. It is regarded as one of the best of the White Horses due to its prominent location. Visitors wanting to get nearer to the White Horse can park in a car park off the B3098 just east of Westbury for an excellent viewing point.
Cherhill (1780) - located east of Cherhill village beneath Oldbury Castle earthwork. The Horse can be seen well from the A4 and footpaths lead to around the site.
Marlborough (1804) - a small White Horse which is not as visible as some of the others due to nearby trees however it can be seen from various points around Marlborough.
Alton Barnes (1812) - on Milk Hill, a mile north of Alton Barnes village. This Horse overlooks the Vale of Pewsey and the new Pewsey White Horse. The best views can be seen from the village.
Hackpen (1838) - located on the edge of the Marlborough Downs, two miles south of Broad Hinton village.
Broad Town (1864) - three miles south of Royal Wootton Bassett this Horse was quite neglected until the formation of the Broad Town White Horse Restoration Society in 1991. The Horse can be reached from footpaths from the village.
Pewsey (1937) - set a mile south of the village; this Horse overlooks the Vale of Pewsey and is located very close to the site of the original White Horse.
Devizes (1999) - the most recent of the White Horses, carved in celebration of the Millennium. Located on Roundway Hill, overlooking the village of Roundway – this is the only Horse in Wiltshire to be facing to the right.