Hackpen White Horse
Hackpen White Horse is a chalk
Origins and early history
The origin of the horse is uncertain,[1] and is sometimes said to be the only 19th century white horse to have little of its history known.[2] It is generally regarded that the horse was cut in 1838 by Henry Eatwell, a parish clerk of Broad Hinton, assisted by a local pub landlord.[2] It is said to commemorate the coronation of Queen Victoria.[1][2]
The original Litlington White Horse is often regarded as the 'sister horse' to the Hackpen White Horse, both having been initially cut in 1838 to honour the coronation of Queen Victoria and were of broadly similar proportions.
Description and location
The horse is cut of chalk, is 90 feet (27 m) square, making it the only square-dimension horse in England, and faces west-northwest.[2] Although Hackpen Hill is high (600 feet (180 m)), it is a gentle slope,[2] especially when compared to the hills of most other Wiltshire horses.[1] Because the hill is gentle, the horse is partly banked up and slightly raised from the surrounding grass to make it more easily visible.[1] The head was initially elevated to help with the foreshortening.[2] The best view of the horse is said to be from the nearby B4041 road,[2] whilst the A361 road near Broad Hinton also provides a clear view.[2]
At the top of the hill is a
The horse ties "neck-and-neck" with Broad Town White Horse as the closest white horse to Swindon.[6]
Scouring and recent history
The horse is regularly
In March 2009, the horse was transformed into a "red horse" for the
The horse has also featured in several artworks, including a
See also
- Wiltshire white horses
- Westbury White Horse
- Pewsey White Horse
- Devizes White Horse
- Broad Town White Horse
- Cherhill White Horse
- Marlborough White Horse
- Alton Barnes White Horse
- Other white horses
- Uffington White Horse
- Osmington White Horse
- Kilburn White Horse
- Woolbury White Horse
- Litlington White Horse
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Wiltshire White Horses: The Hackpen or Broad Hinton or Winterbourne Bassett white horse
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hackpen White Horse
- ^ a b Walking the Wessex White Horses - Hackpen
- ^ Wiltshire White Horses: Folklore and legends
- ^ Artists and the South Downs - South Downs National Park Authority
- ^ Leighton, Barry (25 May 2016). "Scouring for those white horses". Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- ^ Wiltshire White Horses: Lighting up the horses
- ^ BBC - Wiltshire - Comic Relief - Hackpen White Horse goes red!
- ^ a b The White Horse Winterbourne Bassett nr Swindon pub-food/Sunday-Lunch/Hackpen/Dog-Friendly
- ^ Berry Stained Glass : Hackpen White Horse
- ^ My French Easel: The Hackpen White Horse
- ^ White horse inspiration for jeweller and artist (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
- ^ "Series 6, Episode 1". Top Gear. 22 May 2005.
- ^ Hillfigures.co.uk - A site dedicated to information about hill figures