The Wiltshire White Horses are an engaging element of the history in England. In fact, several other cultures liked them so much they have created their own.
There is a long list of white chalk horses, some of them are located in Wiltshire & collectively known as the Wiltshire horses, others are located in different areas of Britain (with a few outside the country altogether). Cherhill (or Oldbury) is one of the former and located within Wiltshire.
This is the second oldest of the Wiltshire horses & perhaps one of the best artistic designs.
Cherhill Basics
Use the latitude & longitude coordinates to find it on Google earth yourself.
Where – This horse can be found on the edge of Cherhill Down, just east of the Cherhill Village.
Size – 131 feet wide by 141 feet high.
Year Created – 1780
Latitude & Longitude – 51.253056N 1.554727W
The Story
Perhaps inspired by the Westbury horse, this horse was cut in 1780 by Dr. Christopher Alsop (or the Mad Doctor). Alsop was said to have done his marking of the horse from a distance, using a megaphone to relay instructions. This horse is thought to be influenced by George Stubbs who was a friend of Christopher’s.
The Cherhill horse once had a glass eye, created from upturned bottles in the ground that caused the eye to gleam in the sunlight.
This horse has been relatively well-maintained through most of its life until recently when it fell into disrepair. Luckily in 2002 the Cherhill White Horse Restoration Group raised funds to refurbish the horse to it’s former glory.
More Information
Here are a couple of sources for information about the Cherhill White Horse.
Cherhill White Horse
Wiltshire White Horses – Cherhill
More Huge White Horses
There are plenty more where that came from, this is just the second in a long list of huge horses on this planet of ours. Be sure to check out the list of white horses and stay tuned for more to come.