Uffington White Horse

This article is about the prehistoric hill figure. For the folk rock band, see Uffington Horse (band).

Uffington White Horse
Aerial view of the White Horse
Whitehorse Hill is located in Oxfordshire
Whitehorse Hill
Whitehorse Hill
Location in Oxfordshire
LocationWhitehorse Hill, Oxfordshire, England
Coordinates51°34′39″N 1°34′00″W / 51.57750°N 1.56667°W / 51.57750; -1.56667
Altitude261 m (856 ft)
TypeHill figure monument
Length100m (330ft)
History
MaterialChalk
Founded1380 - 550 BC
Site notes
OwnershipNational Trust
Public accessYes
Websitenationaltrust.org.uk/white-horse-hill
Designated1929
Reference no.1008412

The Uffington White Horse is a prehistoric hill figure, 110 m (360 ft)[1] long, formed from deep trenches filled with crushed white chalk. The figure is situated on the upper slopes of Whitehorse Hill in the English civil parish of Uffington in Oxfordshire, some 16 km (10 mi) east of Swindon, 8 km (5.0 mi) south of the town of Faringdon and a similar distance west of the town of Wantage; or 2.5 km (1.6 mi) south of Uffington. The hill forms a part of the scarp of the Berkshire Downs and overlooks the Vale of White Horse to the north. The best views of the figure are obtained from the air, or from directly across the Vale, particularly around the villages of Great Coxwell, Longcot, and Fernham.

The Uffington White Horse was created some time between 1380 and 550 BC, during the late Bronze Age or early Iron Age. The site is owned and managed by the National Trust and is a scheduled monument.[2] The Guardian stated in 2003 that "for more than 3,000 years, the Uffington White Horse has been jealously guarded as a masterpiece of minimalist art."[3] The Uffington Horse is by far the oldest of the white horse figures in Britain; the others inspired by it have an entirely different design.[4][5]

  1. ^ Powell, Eric A. (September–October 2017). "White horse of the sun". Archaeology. 70 (5): 9–10. ISSN 0003-8113. Retrieved 31 August 2017. "Master File Complete [for subscription]". EBSCO. [permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Historic England. "The White Horse hill figure 170 m NNE of Uffington Castle on Whitehorse Hill (1008413)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  3. ^ Townsend, Mark (4 May 2003). "Big Brother's logo 'defiles' White Horse". The Observer. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  4. ^ "Wiltshire Uffington". Wiltshirewhitehorses.org.uk. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  5. ^ "Uffington White Horse". hows.org.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2015.