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Thank you sir! :D so wikipedia says it's....
The Osmington White Horse is a hill figure cut into the limestone of Osmington Hill just north of Weymouth in 1808. It is in the South Dorset Downs in the parish of Osmington.[1]

The figure is of King George III riding his horse and can be seen for miles around. The king was a regular visitor to Weymouth and made it 'the first resort'. The figure is 280 feet (85 m) long and 323 feet (98 m) high and is best viewed from the A353 road.

In 1989 the figure was restored for a broadcast of the TV show Challenge Anneka, although the work was subsequently criticised by historians for doing more harm than good. Anneka Rice, presenter of the show, stated that planning permission and advice had been sought before the work.[2]

In August 2011 pranksters added a 'horn' made from plastic sheeting to make the horse resemble a unicorn.[3]

In 2012, it was announced that for the Olympics 2012, the horse would be cleaned and slightly recut to make it look like the original when it was cut in 1808. Restoration was completed on 11 March 2012, and Princess Anne attended a ceremony at which a new plaque made of local stone was revealed. The restoration was done by volunteers, who spent two years carrying out repairs.[4]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmington_White_Horse#cite_note-4


which is an interesting sequence. It shows, for example, how cumulative distortions happen even with the best of intentions. In this case there was photographic evidence, but before that? I do wonder what the originals looked like.

Could there have been a snobbery element in the criticism of the Anneka Rice restoration?
 
I see no horse...

its not sacred; its just the vale of the White horse...

While you are at it, you can get in Waylands smithy, Seven barrows and the blowing stone.

(I can blow the blowing stone, can you?)

I know nothing about it but I've found a picture of The Blowing Stone!
1557755656436.png
 
I've doodled chalk hill-figures as hares in notebooks with the intent of producing a finished painting. Never got round to it though. They were based on the Uffington figure as well. Might see if I can scan some.
I'd love to see these, if you feel willing to share them and have the time to do so.
 
When I first saw the Whiteleaf Cross from the London train passing Princes Risborough (Bucks), I assumed it was a mean hombre with a stetson and a poncho. Apparently it's a cross (no record before 1700's) on a chalk cliff (very steep) that's natural and considerably older. Might have been phallic before being Christianised but practically all chalk crosses have that claim. Lower and Upper Icknield Way cross nearby and track along the top has a neolithic barrow (3,500 BC) that seems to be in use as a stunt cycle ramp.

whiteleaf cross.jpg Whiteleaf_Hill.jpg
 
My own pet theory regarding the local-to-me Cerne Abbas figure is that he's a chalky Restoration-era "up yours!" to the past Cromwellian commonwealth and a "Welcome home!" to the permanently horny Charles II whose 1651 escape from England was via southwest Dorset.

I live in a spot surrounded by chalk figures in two counties - the Westbury (Wiltshire) white horse is a sad 'improved' version of the original Iron-age mythical figure, the original must have been a fine sight:

WWH.jpg

[Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society. Proceedings [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons]

Then a bit further towards the Dorset border are the 20th Century Fovant badges, added by troops based in the area in (IIRC) both world wars and subject to periodic restoration:


Fovant Badges

Marchibald.fly [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Osmington horse is close to Weymouth, which if you have the knowledge you'll already know about. If you don't then the seaside town is definitely not worth seeing or visiting at all*

*There may be a big fib contained in the last sentence. I don't want anyone else to visit and eat all the chips. It's a wondrous town with the old harbour, the best sandy beach, safe swimming great fishing and all the proper seasidey diversions. It's like the seaside we all remember from childhood, except it still exists in this place
 
My own pet theory regarding the local-to-me Cerne Abbas figure is that he's a chalky Restoration-era "up yours!" to the past Cromwellian commonwealth and a "Welcome home!" to the permanently horny Charles II whose 1651 escape from England was via southwest Dorset.

I live in a spot surrounded by chalk figures in two counties - the Westbury (Wiltshire) white horse is a sad 'improved' version of the original Iron-age mythical figure, the original must have been a fine sight:

View attachment 19876
[Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society. Proceedings [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons]

Then a bit further towards the Dorset border are the 20th Century Fovant badges, added by troops based in the area in (IIRC) both world wars and subject to periodic restoration:


Fovant Badges
Marchibald.fly [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Osmington horse is close to Weymouth, which if you have the knowledge you'll already know about. If you don't then the seaside town is definitely not worth seeing or visiting at all*

*There may be a big fib contained in the last sentence. I don't want anyone else to visit and eat all the chips. It's a wondrous town with the old harbour, the best sandy beach, safe swimming great fishing and all the proper seasidey diversions. It's like the seaside we all remember from childhood, except it still exists in this place


Ill-founded criticism?

A farmer who owns the land which is home to an historic landmark has hit back at claims it has been neglected.

The white horse chalk carving at Osmington, Dorset is a tribute to King George III and more than 200 years old. It received a makeover before nearby Weymouth hosted sailing at the 2012 Olympics, but a restoration group said it had fallen into disrepair.

However, landowner Paul Critchell has had enough of the criticism: "It's continual and it's ill-founded really."

Mr Critchell explained: "As the winter gets wetter the stone soaks the water in and becomes much darker in colour and the grass gets more rank and changes from a green to a buffy colour and it matches the colour of the horse, so it doesn't stand out. People take a photograph at the worst possible time of year and that's not representative of what the horse looks like. It's not disappearing and will probably never disappear."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-61148538
 
This is from a few years ago. The lion is visible from the approach to Milton Keynes on the train and I always look for it.

Safe BBC News page -

Whipsnade Zoo's giant hillside lion makeover completed

Restoration of a landmark lion figure on a hillside has been completed using 800 tonnes of unwanted chalk from beneath a local resident's house.
The giant 147m-long (483ft) lion near Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire was created in 1933 is the largest hill figure in England
It had been deteriorating after "unprecedented" weed growth.
Work began in September and the final load of chalk is being smoothed out over the lion's mane on Tuesday.
The famous figure overlooks the Dunstable Downs and indicates the zoo's location.
 
My go to book for hill figures is Morris Marples "White horses and other hill figures" it's worth looking out for a copy. Gives a lot of info on the Westbury horse illustrated by Anonyjoules and how it could haves been recut to its present form by Mr Gee if memory serves.

Also covers the Red horse of Tysoe.


The white cross near Princes Risborough was probably a marker for travelers on the Ridgeway, indicating that there wa an Abbey nearby. Many years ago I did my practical paper on this part of Thr track, I may venture into the loft and see if it's there.
 
Reading through this has reminded me of a lost hill figure that played a big part in my youth as it was on the road home form grandmas house. The figure was the Panda of Lavington near Salisbury. Carved in the late '60'sby students as part of rag week. It was very prominent local landmark for years. Sadly I cannot find a decent picture online to share.
 
Reading through this has reminded me of a lost hill figure that played a big part in my youth as it was on the road home form grandmas house. The figure was the Panda of Lavington near Salisbury. Carved in the late '60'sby students as part of rag week. It was very prominent local landmark for years. Sadly I cannot find a decent picture online to share.
A quick Google brought it up for me. :)
 
Reading through this has reminded me of a lost hill figure that played a big part in my youth as it was on the road home form grandmas house. The figure was the Panda of Lavington near Salisbury. Carved in the late '60'sby students as part of rag week. It was very prominent local landmark for years. Sadly I cannot find a decent picture online to share.
It's apparently Laverstock, not Lavington. Here's a photo:

download.jpg
 
My bad, blame age, alcohol and autocorrect. Good picture find Simon- all the ones I had were so blurry as to be useless. Bits of the Panda were still visible in the "80s if you knew where to look. The letters beside him refer to the student group responsible I think.
 
The picture of the Westbury horse that AnonyJ has loaded seems to be the same as the one in Marples attributed to the 1772 edition of Camden Brittanica, its been suggested that the drawing was made from the top of the hill. Hence the big head and spindly legs.

Wish it had survived .
 
My go to book for hill figures is Morris Marples "White horses and other hill figures" it's worth looking out for a copy. Gives a lot of info on the Westbury horse illustrated by Anonyjoules and how it could haves been recut to its present form by Mr Gee if memory serves.

Also covers the Red horse of Tysoe.


The white cross near Princes Risborough was probably a marker for travelers on the Ridgeway, indicating that there wa an Abbey nearby. Many years ago I did my practical paper on this part of Thr track, I may venture into the loft and see if it's there.

The Westbury White Horse gets cleaned. Vid at link.

Abseilers start work on cleaning Westbury White Horse​

Restorers are working to clean, repaint and repair the iconic Westbury White Horse monument.

The huge horse, thought to have been created in the 1600s, is on a hillside so steep they have to abseil down it.

Water is being used to clean off algae and dirt in a project being funded by English Heritage.

Video journalist: Emma Colman

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-wiltshire-66234374
 
Then a bit further towards the Dorset border are the 20th Century Fovant badges, added by troops based in the area in (IIRC) both world wars and subject to periodic restoration:


Fovant Badges
Marchibald.fly [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Ah, so that answers a question I've long had - "What are they all about?" A couple of decades ago, driving down A-roads to a camping holiday in Cornwall, my (then) girlfreind spotted them out of the window. Somewhere I've still got a photo of them.
 
This is from a few years ago. The lion is visible from the approach to Milton Keynes on the train and I always look for it.

Safe BBC News page -

Whipsnade Zoo's giant hillside lion makeover completed
To quote from the BBC News page (20th March 2018): "Restoration of a landmark lion figure on a hillside has been completed using 800 tonnes of unwanted chalk from beneath a local resident's house." Just assumed the underlying chalk, unwanted or not, contributed in some way to the structural integrity and stability of the home. Anyway, I was born on a farm bordering Asia World at Whipsnade and took a photo of the lion on the last visit to Ivinghoe Beacon in August 2020 (two years after the make-over) and - it hasn't weathered well, in fact I couldn't really see a difference since I was a kid.

Whipsnade_0004a.jpg
 
To quote from the BBC News page (20th March 2018): "Restoration of a landmark lion figure on a hillside has been completed using 800 tonnes of unwanted chalk from beneath a local resident's house." Just assumed the underlying chalk, unwanted or not, contributed in some way to the structural integrity and stability of the home. Anyway, I was born on a farm bordering Asia World at Whipsnade and took a photo of the lion on the last visit to Ivinghoe Beacon in August 2020 (two years after the make-over) and - it hasn't weathered well, in fact I couldn't really see a difference since I was a kid.

View attachment 67937
Yup, when I see it from the train it looks rather vague. Shame.
 
The Westbury White Horse gets cleaned. Vid at link.

Abseilers start work on cleaning Westbury White Horse​

Restorers are working to clean, repaint and repair the iconic Westbury White Horse monument.

The huge horse, thought to have been created in the 1600s, is on a hillside so steep they have to abseil down it.

Water is being used to clean off algae and dirt in a project being funded by English Heritage.

Video journalist: Emma Colman

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-wiltshire-66234374
From wiki:

In 1957 the horse was concreted over and painted white by Westbury Urban District Council, in an attempt to save on long-term maintenance costs, as the chalk of the face was eroding and unstable, due to the steepness of the slope.

Since then, the concrete has tended to turn grey and deteriorate over time, requiring regular cleaning, as well as periodic repairs and repainting. It was thoroughly cleaned in 1993.[9] and in 1995, the concrete facing from 1957 was replaced and repainted.
 
The splendid Uffington White Horse is getting some beauty treatment aimed at restoring areas where parts of the figure has shrunk over recent decades.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-66371566

"...An iconic prehistoric chalk figure has shrunk over time, archaeologists have discovered.
The head and neck of the Uffington White Horse, in particular, have become thinner since the 1980s, the National Trust and Oxford Archaeology team said.
The trust said it plans to reverse the Oxfordshire landmark horse's "weight loss" and restore its original outline.
Archaeologist Adrian Cox said it was "hugely important" as Britain's oldest scientifically-dated chalk figure...."


The White Horse

Photo: The National Trust
 

Enormous white stag landmark near Fraserburgh re-emerges thanks to volunteers


Work to restore the famous white stag of Mormond Hill is on course to finish this weekend — but the hunt is on for volunteers to help keep it pristine for future generations.

white-stage-after-and-before_52928541-86sg522c-e1694169838555.jpg


The white stag of Mormond Hill now, in September 2023, after being restored. And, on the right, as it was in 2015. Image: Kenny Elrick.

Created out of quarried quartz rock, the huge white stag was carved into the Fraserburgh-facing side of the hill in 1870 to mark the wedding of the local laird.

At 240ft wide and 220ft high, it can be seen for miles around and is considered one of Buchan’s treasures.

Records suggest it has been cleaned a handful of times since the 1930s, but this summer, an army of volunteers have been heading up the hill
every few days to sweat it out and get it cleared.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/f...-fraserburgh-re-emerges-thanks-to-volunteers/

maximus otter
 
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