This article is reproduced with the kind permission of Linda Spencer © LSpencer 2007
Have you ever wanted to have a wish come true? Legend has it that if you stand on the eye of the Uffington white horse, close your eyes and turn three times clockwise whilst making your wish, it will be granted.
Ancient figures carved into rolling English chalkhills have long been the subject of speculation by experts and enthusiasts alike but there are none quite so breathtaking as the white horses. Who carved them and why are timeless mysteries.
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With some the puzzle is easily solved but others are still provoking debate.
It is not surprising to find that most of them are located in Wiltshire, an area of England rich in history. Visitors to this mystical corner of the UK can soak themselves in an atmosphere thrumming with an energy almost touchable. Wiltshire is generous to those seeking spirituality - ley lines, crop circles, hauntings and stone circles are scattered about the place in almost ridiculous amounts. The famous and majestic Stonehenge can also be found here. Add to the mix that much of this county is designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty and you have the perfect trip.
The best known and certainly the oldest of the chalk horses is the breathtaking Uffington White Horse, located in Berkshire. Depicted in full gallop across stunning downs on the appropriately named White Horse Hill, this shape of a white mare is an imposing 365 feet in length. The horse’s size is the only fact on which the experts can agree.
So why is it there?
Investigators at Oxford Archaeology think the horse is over 3000 years old, dating it to the late bronze age. The unique style of the horse’s lines is also evident on coins from the period.
The most popular belief is that the horse was cut by worshippers of Epona, the Celtic goddess of fertility, travel and the protectress of horses. Signs of horse worship had certainly cropped up in Britain by the bronze age and Epona is never depicted without her white steed by her side. She was an extremely popular goddess, her legacy even led to her being adopted by the Romans in later times.
The idea of a horse as a symbol of religious worship is further endorsed with the practice of the “scouring” ceremony. Ordered and paid for every seven years by the local Lord, what was supposed to happen with scouring was simply clearing grass and weeds from the horse’s lines and dressing the chalk to keep it gleaming white. In reality the event escalated into a three day festival of merry making involving everyone in the immediate areas. Races of all kinds, wrestling, sword play, games involving food were all enthusiastically entered into. Whole cheeses were rolled down to “The Manger”, a valley where the white horse is said to leave her hill on moonlit nights to feed. So were the practitioners of the festival subconsciously recreating what their long ago ancestors the Celts had done in celebration of Epona at this very spot? It could be argued so. The custom died out in the 1800s but the ceremony was once again performed by the people of Uffington as recently as 2000 to celebrate the millennium festival.
The legends about the Uffington mare are as evocative as the facts. You will hear whimsical Arthurian tales attached to the horse. King Arthur, it is said, is only sleeping in preparation for the time when he will wake to defend England in its darkest times. So the story goes, when King Arthur is roused the Uffington White Horse will leap from her hill and dance. Others will tell you that once every 100 years the horse gallops off to visit Waylaid, creator of the mighty Excalibur, to have her new horseshoes fitted by the great blacksmith.
The experts will continue to debate the facts and romantics will continue to speculate. Maybe the best and only way to decide which of the stories are true is to come and sit by the White Horse yourself. Surrounded by tranquil lands you may capture the spirit of Epona’s followers, find your wishes coming true or, if you come by moonlight, you may arrive just in time to see the White Horse galloping off to feed.
Travel Facts: The Horses of the White Horse Trail
Any traveller to the West Country of England these days will find it easy to track down the Wiltshire carvings, thanks to the White Horse Trail, a 90 mile walking/cycling route. Once Wiltshire’s horses numbered 13 but sadly only 8 have stood the test of time. The very detailed information pack available breaks down the route into 8 walks, with a booklet devoted to each horse and full directions to each site. Each walk has been designed to give the best vantage point of the horse in question. The older Wiltshire horses are thought to have been inspired by the original Uffington mare, although they are more anatomically correct than that horse.
It must be pleasing to the spirits that wander the Wiltshire hills that such an ancient rite as shaping a horse to worship or commemorate is still exercised today.
So what can you expect to see on the White Horse Trail?
Westbury: The most famous of the Wiltshire horses is the Westbury horse, which in its present incarnation dates from 1778. There was once an older horse on the site but the origins of this original are unknown. The legend is that the first horse was carved in 878 AD to honour King Alfred’s victory over the Danes at Ethandun.
New Pewsey: This is quite a modern horse, cut in 1973 by the Pewsey Fire Brigade to celebrate the coronation of King George VI. Again, an older horse had once stood on the same spot.
Marlborough: A small white horse cut in 1804 by local schoolboys.
Hackpen: The Hackpen horse was cut in 1837 to celebrate another coronation, this time of Queen Victoria.
Broad Town: This horse was originally cut in 1863 but had been lost to the elements until the 1990s when it was discovered, scoured and brought back to life.
Cherhill: Dating from 1780, this horse was restored to former glory in 2002, when yet another ceremony was performed, this time to honour the restoration. The Avebury stone circle, acknowledged by World Heritage, is easily accessible from the site of this white horse.
Alton Barnes: Carved in 1812, this horse stands on Milk Hill and is occasionally candlelit. This horse has a more macabre history attached to it, as the contractor originally hired to carve it absconded with the payment and was hunted down and hung.
New Devizes: The horse of the Millennium. It was carved in 1999 with the help of the local community to replace an old horse that had decayed over time. The Devizes horse faces east, as if ready to skip over the hills to meet the horse at Alton Barnes.
Further information regarding the White Horse Trail can be found at Wiltshire Tourism and the Uffington White Horse has its own dedicated website with visitor information and full travel directions.
Linda Spencer
It is not surprising to find that most of them are located in Wiltshire, an area of England rich in history. Visitors to this mystical corner of the UK can soak themselves in an atmosphere thrumming with an energy almost touchable. Wiltshire is generous to those seeking spirituality - ley lines, crop circles, hauntings and stone circles are scattered about the place in almost ridiculous amounts. The famous and majestic Stonehenge can also be found here. Add to the mix that much of this county is designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty and you have the perfect trip.
The best known and certainly the oldest of the chalk horses is the breathtaking Uffington White Horse, located in Berkshire. Depicted in full gallop across stunning downs on the appropriately named White Horse Hill, this shape of a white mare is an imposing 365 feet in length. The horse’s size is the only fact on which the experts can agree.
So why is it there?
Investigators at Oxford Archaeology think the horse is over 3000 years old, dating it to the late bronze age. The unique style of the horse’s lines is also evident on coins from the period.
The most popular belief is that the horse was cut by worshippers of Epona, the Celtic goddess of fertility, travel and the protectress of horses. Signs of horse worship had certainly cropped up in Britain by the bronze age and Epona is never depicted without her white steed by her side. She was an extremely popular goddess, her legacy even led to her being adopted by the Romans in later times.
The idea of a horse as a symbol of religious worship is further endorsed with the practice of the “scouring” ceremony. Ordered and paid for every seven years by the local Lord, what was supposed to happen with scouring was simply clearing grass and weeds from the horse’s lines and dressing the chalk to keep it gleaming white. In reality the event escalated into a three day festival of merry making involving everyone in the immediate areas. Races of all kinds, wrestling, sword play, games involving food were all enthusiastically entered into. Whole cheeses were rolled down to “The Manger”, a valley where the white horse is said to leave her hill on moonlit nights to feed. So were the practitioners of the festival subconsciously recreating what their long ago ancestors the Celts had done in celebration of Epona at this very spot? It could be argued so. The custom died out in the 1800s but the ceremony was once again performed by the people of Uffington as recently as 2000 to celebrate the millennium festival.
The legends about the Uffington mare are as evocative as the facts. You will hear whimsical Arthurian tales attached to the horse. King Arthur, it is said, is only sleeping in preparation for the time when he will wake to defend England in its darkest times. So the story goes, when King Arthur is roused the Uffington White Horse will leap from her hill and dance. Others will tell you that once every 100 years the horse gallops off to visit Waylaid, creator of the mighty Excalibur, to have her new horseshoes fitted by the great blacksmith.
The experts will continue to debate the facts and romantics will continue to speculate. Maybe the best and only way to decide which of the stories are true is to come and sit by the White Horse yourself. Surrounded by tranquil lands you may capture the spirit of Epona’s followers, find your wishes coming true or, if you come by moonlight, you may arrive just in time to see the White Horse galloping off to feed.
Travel Facts: The Horses of the White Horse Trail
Any traveller to the West Country of England these days will find it easy to track down the Wiltshire carvings, thanks to the White Horse Trail, a 90 mile walking/cycling route. Once Wiltshire’s horses numbered 13 but sadly only 8 have stood the test of time. The very detailed information pack available breaks down the route into 8 walks, with a booklet devoted to each horse and full directions to each site. Each walk has been designed to give the best vantage point of the horse in question. The older Wiltshire horses are thought to have been inspired by the original Uffington mare, although they are more anatomically correct than that horse.
It must be pleasing to the spirits that wander the Wiltshire hills that such an ancient rite as shaping a horse to worship or commemorate is still exercised today.
So what can you expect to see on the White Horse Trail?
Westbury: The most famous of the Wiltshire horses is the Westbury horse, which in its present incarnation dates from 1778. There was once an older horse on the site but the origins of this original are unknown. The legend is that the first horse was carved in 878 AD to honour King Alfred’s victory over the Danes at Ethandun.
New Pewsey: This is quite a modern horse, cut in 1973 by the Pewsey Fire Brigade to celebrate the coronation of King George VI. Again, an older horse had once stood on the same spot.
Marlborough: A small white horse cut in 1804 by local schoolboys.
Hackpen: The Hackpen horse was cut in 1837 to celebrate another coronation, this time of Queen Victoria.
Broad Town: This horse was originally cut in 1863 but had been lost to the elements until the 1990s when it was discovered, scoured and brought back to life.
Cherhill: Dating from 1780, this horse was restored to former glory in 2002, when yet another ceremony was performed, this time to honour the restoration. The Avebury stone circle, acknowledged by World Heritage, is easily accessible from the site of this white horse.
Alton Barnes: Carved in 1812, this horse stands on Milk Hill and is occasionally candlelit. This horse has a more macabre history attached to it, as the contractor originally hired to carve it absconded with the payment and was hunted down and hung.
New Devizes: The horse of the Millennium. It was carved in 1999 with the help of the local community to replace an old horse that had decayed over time. The Devizes horse faces east, as if ready to skip over the hills to meet the horse at Alton Barnes.
Further information regarding the White Horse Trail can be found at Wiltshire Tourism and the Uffington White Horse has its own dedicated website with visitor information and full travel directions.
Linda Spencer
The Westbury white horse
The Uffington White Horse
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THE WILTSHIRE WHITE HORSES