Uffington White Horse
Encyclopedia
The Uffington White Horse is a highly stylised prehistoric hill figure
, 110 m long (374 feet), formed from deep trenches filled with crushed white chalk
. The figure is situated on the upper slopes of White Horse Hill in the English
civil parish of Uffington
(in the county of Oxfordshire
, historically Berkshire
), some 8 km (5 mi) south of the town of Faringdon
and a similar distance west of the town of Wantage
. The hill forms a part of the scarp of the Berkshire Downs
and overlooks the Vale of White Horse
to the north. 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 site is owned and managed by the National Trust
.
, by means of optically stimulated luminescence dating carried out following archaeological investigations in 1994. These studies produced three dates ranging between 1400 and 600 BC. Iron Age
coins that bear a representation comparable to the Uffington White Horse have been found, supporting the early dating of this artifact; counter suggestions that the figure was fashioned in the Anglo-Saxon period
now seem untenable. Numerous other prominent prehistoric sites are located nearby, notably Wayland's Smithy
, a long barrow
less than 2 kilometres (1 mi) to the west. The Uffington is by far the oldest of the white horse figures in Britain, and is of an entirely different design from the others.
It has long been debated whether the chalk
figure was intended to represent a horse or some other animal
. However, it has been called a horse since the eleventh century at least. A cartulary of Abingdon Abbey
, compiled between 1072 and 1084, refers to "mons albi equi" at Uffington ("the White Horse Hill").
The horse is thought to represent a tribal symbol perhaps connected with the builders of Uffington Castle
.
It is quite similar to horses depicted on pre-Roman
British coinage and the Marlborough, Wiltshire bucket.
Until the late 19th century the horse was scoured every seven years as part of a more general local fair
held on the hill. When regular cleaning is halted the figure quickly becomes obscured; it has always needed frequent work for the figure to remain visible.
In August 2002 the figure was defaced with the addition of a rider and three dogs by members of the "Real Countryside Alliance" (Real CA). The act was denounced by the Countryside Alliance
.
The Folkestone White Horse
, Kent, is based on this horse. At Ciudad Juárez
, Mexico, there is a larger replica of the Uffington horse.31°39′46.5"N 106°35′13.2"W
The most significant nearby feature is the Iron Age
Uffington Castle
, located on higher ground atop a knoll above the White Horse. This hillfort comprises an area of approximately 3 hectares (7.4 acre) enclosed by a single, well-preserved bank and ditch. Uffington 'Castle' is a large Iron Age hillfort situated on Dragon Hill
, which is a natural mound associated in legend with St George.
To the west are ice-cut terraces known as the "Giant's Stair".
Some believe these terraces at the bottom of this valley are the result of medieval farming, or alternatively were used for early farming after being formed by natural processes. The steep sided dry valley below the horse is known as the Manger and legend says that the horse grazes there at night.
a perforated sarsen
stone, which lies in a garden in Kingston Lisle
, two kilometres away and which produces a music
al tone when blown through, is thought possibly to have been moved from the White Horse site, in the year 1750.
The hill is also used by the local Paragliding and Hang Gliding Club.
Hill figure
A hill figure is a large visual representation created by cutting into a steep hillside and revealing the underlying geology. It is a type of geoglyph usually designed to be seen from afar rather than above. In some cases trenches are dug and rubble made from material brighter than the natural...
, 110 m long (374 feet), formed from deep trenches filled with crushed white chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
. The figure is situated on the upper slopes of White Horse Hill in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
civil parish of Uffington
Uffington, Oxfordshire
Uffington is a village and civil parish about south of Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. Uffington is most commonly known as the location of the Uffington White Horse hill figure....
(in the county of Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, historically Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
), some 8 km (5 mi) south of the town of Faringdon
Faringdon
Faringdon is a market town in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. It is on the edge of the Thames Valley, between the River Thames and the Ridgeway...
and a similar distance west of the town of Wantage
Wantage
Wantage is a market town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. The town is on Letcombe Brook, about south-west of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot....
. The hill forms a part of the scarp of the Berkshire Downs
Berkshire Downs
The Berkshire Downs are a range of chalk downland hills in southern England, part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
and overlooks the Vale of White Horse
Vale of White Horse
The Vale of White Horse is a local government district of Oxfordshire in England. The main town is Abingdon, other places include Faringdon and Wantage. There are 68 parishes within the district...
to the north. Best views of the figure are obtained from the air, or from directly across the Vale, particularly around the villages of Great Coxwell
Great Coxwell
Great Coxwell is a village and civil parish southwest of Faringdon in Oxfordshire, England. It was in Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire....
, Longcot
Longcot
Longcot is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse District. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. The village is about south of Faringdon and about northeast of Shrivenham. The A420 road between Swindon and Oxford passes through the...
and Fernham
Fernham
Fernham is a village and civil parish about south of Faringdon in the Vale of White Horse. Fernham was historically part of the parish of Shrivenham...
. The site is owned and managed by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
History
The figure has been shown to date back some 3,000 years, to the Bronze AgeBronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
, by means of optically stimulated luminescence dating carried out following archaeological investigations in 1994. These studies produced three dates ranging between 1400 and 600 BC. Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
coins that bear a representation comparable to the Uffington White Horse have been found, supporting the early dating of this artifact; counter suggestions that the figure was fashioned in the Anglo-Saxon period
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
now seem untenable. Numerous other prominent prehistoric sites are located nearby, notably Wayland's Smithy
Wayland's Smithy
Wayland's Smithy is a Neolithic long barrow and chamber tomb site located near the Uffington White Horse and Uffington Castle, at Ashbury in the English county of Oxfordshire ....
, a long barrow
Long barrow
A long barrow is a prehistoric monument dating to the early Neolithic period. They are rectangular or trapezoidal tumuli or earth mounds traditionally interpreted as collective tombs...
less than 2 kilometres (1 mi) to the west. The Uffington is by far the oldest of the white horse figures in Britain, and is of an entirely different design from the others.
It has long been debated whether the chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
figure was intended to represent a horse or some other animal
White horse (mythology)
White horses have a special significance in the mythologies of cultures around the world. They are often associated with the sun chariot, with warrior-heroes, with fertility , or with an end-of-time saviour, but other interpretations exist as well...
. However, it has been called a horse since the eleventh century at least. A cartulary of Abingdon Abbey
Abingdon Abbey
Abingdon Abbey was a Benedictine monastery also known as St Mary's Abbey located in Abingdon, historically in the county of Berkshire but now in Oxfordshire, England.-History:...
, compiled between 1072 and 1084, refers to "mons albi equi" at Uffington ("the White Horse Hill").
The horse is thought to represent a tribal symbol perhaps connected with the builders of Uffington Castle
Uffington Castle
Uffington Castle is all that remains of an early Iron Age hill fort in Oxfordshire, England. It covers about 32,000 square metres and is surrounded by two earth banks separated by a ditch with an entrance in the eastern end...
.
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
British coinage and the Marlborough, Wiltshire bucket.
Until the late 19th century the horse was scoured every seven years as part of a more general local fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
held on the hill. When regular cleaning is halted the figure quickly becomes obscured; it has always needed frequent work for the figure to remain visible.
In August 2002 the figure was defaced with the addition of a rider and three dogs by members of the "Real Countryside Alliance" (Real CA). The act was denounced by the Countryside Alliance
Countryside Alliance
The Countryside Alliance is a British organisation promoting issues relating to the countryside such as country sports, including hunting, shooting and angling...
.
The Folkestone White Horse
Folkestone White Horse
The Folkestone White Horse is a white horse hill figure, carved into Cheriton Hill, Folkestone, Kent, South East England. It overlooks the English terminal of the Channel Tunnel and was completed in June 2003....
, Kent, is based on this horse. At Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
, Mexico, there is a larger replica of the Uffington horse.31°39′46.5"N 106°35′13.2"W
Nearby features and recent events
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
Uffington Castle
Uffington Castle
Uffington Castle is all that remains of an early Iron Age hill fort in Oxfordshire, England. It covers about 32,000 square metres and is surrounded by two earth banks separated by a ditch with an entrance in the eastern end...
, located on higher ground atop a knoll above the White Horse. This hillfort comprises an area of approximately 3 hectares (7.4 acre) enclosed by a single, well-preserved bank and ditch. Uffington 'Castle' is a large Iron Age hillfort situated on Dragon Hill
Dragon Hill, Uffington
Dragon Hill is a small hillock immediately below the Uffington White Horse on the border of the civil parishes of Uffington and Woolstone in the English county of Oxfordshire...
, which is a natural mound associated in legend with St George.
To the west are ice-cut terraces known as the "Giant's Stair".
Some believe these terraces at the bottom of this valley are the result of medieval farming, or alternatively were used for early farming after being formed by natural processes. The steep sided dry valley below the horse is known as the Manger and legend says that the horse grazes there at night.
a perforated sarsen
Sarsen
Sarsen stones are sandstone blocks found in quantity in the United Kingdom on Salisbury Plain, the Marlborough Downs, in Kent, and in smaller quantities in Berkshire, Essex, Oxfordshire, Dorset and Hampshire...
stone, which lies in a garden in Kingston Lisle
Kingston Lisle
Kingston Lisle is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse, England. Kingston Lisle was part of Berkshire until the 1974 local government boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire.-Location:...
, two kilometres away and which produces a music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
al tone when blown through, is thought possibly to have been moved from the White Horse site, in the year 1750.
The hill is also used by the local Paragliding and Hang Gliding Club.
The Uffington Horse in popular culture
- G. K. ChestertonG. K. ChestertonGilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
's poem The Ballad of the White HorseThe Ballad of the White HorseThe Ballad of the White Horse is a poem by G. K. Chesterton about the idealized exploits of the Saxon King Alfred the Great, published in 1911. Written in ballad form, the work is usually considered the last great traditional epic poems ever written in the English language...
gives a Christian interpretation to the continual scouring needed to maintain the impression in the chalk over the intervening millennia. This is achieved in the context of a romantic retro-medieval depiction of the exploits of King Alfred the Great. - Rosemary SutcliffRosemary SutcliffRosemary Sutcliff CBE was a British novelist, and writer for children, best known as a writer of historical fiction and children's literature. Although she was primarily a children's author, the quality and depth of her writing also appeals to adults; Sutcliff herself once commented that she wrote...
's book Sun Horse, Moon HorseSun Horse, Moon HorseSun Horse, Moon Horse is a historical novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1977.It takes place in Bronze Age Britain, telling the tale of a chieftain's son of the Iceni who is caught up in a conflict with the neighboring Attribates, and plays an instrumental part in...
, a book for children, tells the story of the creator of the figure. - Richard DoyleRichard Doyle (illustrator)Richard "Dickie" Doyle was a notable illustrator of the Victorian era. His work frequently appeared, amongst other places, in Punch magazine; he drew the cover of the first issue, and designed the magazine's masthead, a design that was used for over a century.Born at 17 Cambridge Terrace, London,...
, a cartoonist and illustrator of PunchPunch (magazine)Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
satirical magazine fame, illustrated the 1859 book The Scouring of the White Horse by Thomas HughesThomas HughesThomas Hughes was an English lawyer and author. He is most famous for his novel Tom Brown's Schooldays , a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had attended. It had a lesser-known sequel, Tom Brown at Oxford .- Biography :Hughes was the second son of John Hughes, editor of...
, the author of Tom Brown's SchooldaysTom Brown's SchooldaysTom Brown's Schooldays is a novel by Thomas Hughes. The story is set at Rugby School, a public school for boys, in the 1830s; Hughes attended Rugby School from 1834 to 1842...
. The book mentions both the horse and the Blowing StoneBlowing StoneThe Blowing Stone is a perforated sarsen stone, located at in a garden at the foot of Blowingstone Hill just south of the Icknield Way , at Kingston Lisle, near Uffington, in the English county of Oxfordshire .-Notability:...
. - The design of the Uffington Horse was used as the album cover of the 1982 album English Settlement by English rock group XTCXTCXTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, who come from the nearby town of SwindonSwindonSwindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
.
- The Uffington Horse is the symbol of Wessex Hall at the University of ReadingUniversity of ReadingThe University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
, adopted in 1920 and still in use today. - The Uffington White horse is often presented as an image of EponaEponaIn Gallo-Roman religion, Epona was a protector of horses, donkeys, and mules. She was particularly a goddess of fertility, as shown by her attributes of a patera, cornucopia, ears of grain and the presence of foals in some sculptures suggested that the goddess and her horses were leaders of the...
in popular works on NeopaganismNeopaganismNeopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
, based on stylistic similarity with horses depicted on Iron Age British and Gaulish coinage, although the dating makes this very unlikely. There may also be an assumption that Epona statues depicted a white horse (the colour is unknown and this seems to be a confusion with RhiannonRhiannonRhiannon is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology, mother to the Demetian hero Pryderi and wife to Pwyll . She is probably a reflex of the Celtic Great Queen goddess Rigantona and may also be associated with the horse goddess Epona.She appears in both the first and third branches of the Mabinogi...
). - Faringdon Community College and Faringdon Infant School in FaringdonFaringdonFaringdon is a market town in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. It is on the edge of the Thames Valley, between the River Thames and the Ridgeway...
, Oxfordshire, use the White Horse as their logo. - The horse is the emblem of the Berkshire YeomanryBerkshire Yeomanry94 Signal Squadron forms part of 39 Signal Regiment. They are currently based in three locations in the Home Counties...
, a Territorial Army unit based in Windsor, Reading and Chertsey. - The White Horse is mentioned throughout the book This Is All by Aidan Chambers.
- British artist Stella VineStella VineStella Vine is an English artist, who lives and works in London. Her work is figurative painting with subject matter drawn from either her personal life of family, friends and school, or rock stars, royalty and celebrities.After a difficult relationship with her stepfather, she left home and in...
chose the White Horse as her favourite artwork in a video filmed in May 2008 as part of Artangel's The Big Pix project, in which artists were filmed talking about their favourite artwork or destination. Vine described it as mysterious, atmospheric, pagan and inspiring. - Caroline and Charles ToddCaroline and Charles ToddCharles Todd is a pen name used by the American authors Caroline and Charles Todd. This mother-and-son writing team lives in the eastern United States, in North Carolina and Delaware respectively....
's book A Pale Horse (2008) takes place in and around Uffington and centres around the White Horse. Wayland's SmithyWayland's SmithyWayland's Smithy is a Neolithic long barrow and chamber tomb site located near the Uffington White Horse and Uffington Castle, at Ashbury in the English county of Oxfordshire ....
is also mentioned. - The White Horse is mentioned in the book What Time Devours (2009) by A. J. Hartley.
- White Horse Hill appears under the name of Red Horse Hill in the novel Runemarks by Joanne Harris.
- Clive CusslerClive CusslerClive Eric Cussler is an American adventure novelist and marine archaeologist. His thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have reached The New York Times fiction best-seller list more than seventeen times...
refers to the Uffington Horse in his novel Trojan OdysseyTrojan OdysseyTrojan Odyssey is a Dirk Pitt novel by Clive Cussler, published first in 2003.-Plot summary:The book opens with a fictional historical overview/flashback to events of Homer's famous Odyssey, but alters the original plot...
, where it is the symbol of the cult presided over by Epona Eliade. - The 1978 BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television children's series The Moon StallionThe Moon StallionThe Moon Stallion is a British children's television serial made by the BBC in 1978 and written by Brian Hayles, who also authored its novelization....
uses the chalk horse as one of its principal locations and a major plot element, and includes footage of it in the title sequence. - The Uffington Horse is used as a location in the 1993 film Map of the Human HeartMap of the Human HeartMap of the Human Heart is the title of a 1993 film by New Zealand director Vincent Ward. It was screened out of competition at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival....
. - The Uffington White Horse is featured in the Jonathan Hare story 'Ignorant Armies' by Sam Wharton.
- A chalk carving very much like the Uffington White Horse is featured extensively in "A Hat Full of Sky" by Terry Pratchett, and the author discusses the Uffington White Horse specifically in an afterword.
- An animated version in the music video for "SonnetSonnet (song)"Sonnet" is a song by Britpop band The Verve and is featured on their third album, Urban Hymns. It was released 2 March 1998 as the final single from the album . The song has the same instrumental layout as "The Drugs Don't Work", consisting of acoustic and electric guitars backed up with a string...
" by The VerveThe VerveThe Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
in 1998. - The Song of the White Horse, a 1977 composition for Orchestra and Chorus by David BedfordDavid BedfordDavid Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
.
See also
- LeucippotomyLeucippotomyLeucippotomy is the art of carving white horses in chalk upland areas, particularly as practised in southern England. The practice is apparently of prehistoric origin; the Uffington White Horse, near The Ridgeway, has been dated to between 1400 and 600 BC. The Uffington White Horse is the most...
- Westbury White HorseWestbury White HorseThe Westbury or Bratton White Horse is a hill figure on the escarpment of Salisbury Plain, approximately east of Westbury in England. Located on the edge of Bratton Downs and lying just below an Iron Age hill fort, it is the oldest of several white horses carved in Wiltshire...
- Cherhill White HorseCherhill White HorseThe Cherhill White Horse is a hill figure on Cherhill Down, 3.5 miles east of Calne in Wiltshire, England. Dating from the late 18th century, it is the third oldest of several such white horses in Great Britain, with only the Uffington White Horse and the Westbury White Horse being older...
- Marlborough White HorseMarlborough White HorseThe Marlborough White Horse, also called the Preshute White Horse, is a hill figure on Granham Hill, a fairly shallow slope of the downland above the village of Preshute, near Marlborough in the county of Wiltshire, England...
External links
- The National Trust - White Horse Hill
- Ancient Britain - The White Horse
- Uffington Whitehorse and Dragon Hill (Mysterious Britain & Ireland)
- The Uffington Whitehorse - Some Place Different
- Aerial photos and information
- Wiltshire and Oxfordshire chalk horses
- Royal Berkshire History: The Uffington White Horse
- Aerial view from Google Maps
- Video of low level flight over Uffington White Horse
- Thames Valley Hang Gliding Club - Flying Site
- The White Horse of Uffington