Wiltshire’s White Horses

The Wiltshire Countryside is famous for its white horse chalk hill figures. It is thought that there have been 13 white horses in existence in Wiltshire, but only 8 are sll visible today. The oldest, largest and perhaps the most well known white horse is carved into the chalk hillside across the border in Oxfordshire. Lile is known of the history of the Uffington White Horse, but it is believed to have influenced the cung of the subsequent Wiltshire horses. The first of the Wiltshire white horses to appear was at Westbury in 878AD, although this figure is no longer visible as a new horse was cut on top in 1778. The most recent horse was cut on the hill above Devizes very near to Team Fredericks to celebrate the Millennium.

Westbury: The original Westbury white horse was said to be very different in appearance to the horse that appears today. The earlier horse, if local sketches are to be believed, had short legs and a long heavy body, it wore a saddle and had a tail that pointed upwards. In 1778, Lord Abingdon's steward, a Mr. George Gee took it upon himself to re‐design the Westbury horse and changed the appearance of the landscape for ever more. The old horse was completely lost under this new design, and many branded Gee a Barbarian and vandal. Cherhill: A unique aracon of the Cherhill horse was its eye. Measuring four feet in diameter, Aslop filled the eye with glass boles embedded into the turf face down. This gave the effect that the eye was shimmering when the sun hit it and could be seen for miles around. By 1872 all the boles had been stolen by tourists and souvenir hunters. Marlborough: The Marlborough, or Preshute, horse lies in the grounds of Marlborough College and is the smallest known horse measuring just 61 by 47. The horse was cut in 1804 by a party of boys from Mr. Greasley's academy. William Canning, a student at Mr Greasley's is said to have designed the horse, although there seems to be no real move behind the making. Old Pewsey: Almost all traces of this first Pewsey horse have Alton Barnes: An arst by the name of John now disappeared, but it is be‐ lieved that the horse carried a Thorne was selected to design and cut the rider. The figure was thought horse on the hill above the village. He agreed to have been cut by a local to excavate the horse to a depth of one foot farmer, Robert Pile. The horse and fill the cavity with chalk, and was paid ‚£20 fell into neglect, and by the in advance for his trouble. Thorne employed a 1930s the chalk was no longer visible, but the outline of the local man, John Harvey to do the work, but head and body could just be disappeared before the work was finished made out. taking the £20 with him. Broad Hinton/Hackpen: The Hackpen Horse was cut to commemorate the Coronaon of Queen Victoria in 1838. Although lile is known about the origins of the horse it is believed to have been cut by Henry Eatwell, Parish clerk of Broad Hinton and the local publican.

Old Devizes: Cut into the side of Roundway Hill just below Oliver's Castle, the Snobs, or Devizes horse is no longer visible, although local people say that in hot dry summers a different tone in the grass shows the shape of a horse. The horse was cut at Whitsunde in 1845 by the shoemakers of Devizes, or Snobs as they were known. The figure soon fell into a state of neglect and by the 19th Century the turf had almost completely covered it. Several aempts were made to re‐cut the horse, but all failed and in 1998 the last aempt was thwarted by the site being declared a site of special scienfic interest (SSSI).

Ham Hill / Inkpen: Just inside the Wiltshire border near Ham Hill and the village of Inkpen, this hill figure thought to have been cut in the late 1860's is now completely lost. The Ham Hill horse was designed and cut by the landowner, a Mr Wright, who had recently moved to Ham Spray House, a property with fantasc clear views onto the opposing Ham Hill. Mr Wright created the horse by merely excavang the shape, he used no chalk infilling and when the property changed hands, the figure soon became lost as the new landowner had no desire to maintain the horse.

Broad Town: Situated on the hill to the east of the village of Broad Town, this horse was completed in 1863 by a local farmer, William Simmonds. Measuring 86 by 61, it is rumoured that Mr Simmonds had desires to make the figure larger, but he gave up farming and this was never achieved. In subsequent years the horse fell into neglect and the lower parts of its legs became lost.

New Pewsey: The second Pewsey horse was designed by George Marples, an authority in hill figures, and was cut by the Pewsey Fire Brigade in 1937 to commemorate the Coronaon of George VI.T he horse is one of the smallest figures measuring 66 by 45 and is best viewed from the Pewsey to Amesbury A345 road.

Rockley: This horse was discovered in 1948, however its origin is not known. The figure emerged during ploughing on Rockley Down, and local people said that they had long been aware of a discolouraon of the grass in that area. Constant ploughing means that the horse has been eroded and has long since been lost to the land. Devizes Millennium Horse: Several aempts had been made to re cut the original Snobs horse, namely in 1909, 1939, 1954, 1977, 1979,1987 and 1998. The laer aempt was thwarted when the site was declared a Site of Special Scienfic Interest. In 1999 a local farmer, Chris Combe, offered his land on Roundway hill, a mile from the original site and permission was granted by the Crown who own the land. Peter Greed, a sixth form student at Devizes Grammar School in 1954, designed a horse for the unsuccessful re‐cung of the Snobs horse that year. It was this design that was chosen for the Millennium figure, although the direcon in which the horse faces has been reversed. A commiee was set up to oversee the project, and the public invited to become members of the 'Cavaliers of the Devizes Millennium White Horse' ‐ the group formed to support the project and its future maintenance.