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The Osmington White Horse is a
The Osmington White Horse Restoration
{{coord, 50.65741, N, 2.40438, W, source:placeopedia, display=title 1808 works 1808 establishments in England Protected areas of Dorset History of Dorset Tourist attractions in Dorset Hill figures in England White horses (hill figures) in England
The Osmington White Horse is a 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 r ...
cut into the limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
of Osmington Hill just north of Weymouth in Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
in 1808. It is in the South Dorset Downs
The Dorset Downs are an area of chalk downland in the centre of the county Dorset in south west England. The downs are the most western part of a larger chalk formation which also includes (from west to east) Cranborne Chase, Salisbury Plain, Ham ...
in the parish of Osmington
Osmington is a village and civil parish within Dorset, England, situated on the Jurassic Coast north-east of Weymouth. In the 2011 census the parish—which includes the small settlements of Upton, Ringstead and Osmington Mills—had a popul ...
.
The figure is of King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
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 long and high and is best viewed from the A353 road.
In 1989 the figure was restored for a broadcast of the TV show ''Challenge Anneka
''Challenge Anneka'' is a British reality programme that aired on BBC1 from 8 September 1989 to 15 October 1995 and was hosted by Anneka Rice.
It was announced in 2006 that the series was returning, but this time on ITV. The first of the two s ...
'', although the work was subsequently criticised by historians for doing more harm than good. Anneka Rice
Anne Lucinda Hartley Rice (born 4 October 1958), known professionally as Anneka Rice, is a Welsh-born television and radio presenter, broadcaster, journalist and painter.
Early life and education
Rice was born in Cowbridge, Glamorgan, Wales, ...
, presenter of the show, stated that planning permission and advice had been sought before the work.
In August 2011 pranksters added a 'horn' made from plastic sheeting to make the horse resemble a unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead.
In European literature and art, the unicorn has for the last thousand years o ...
.
In 2012, it was announced that for the Olympics 2012
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, 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
Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...
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.
The figure is designated as a Scheduled Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
.
See also
*Chalk figures in the United Kingdom
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 r ...
* Cherhill White Horse
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 ...
* Westbury White Horse
Westbury or Bratton White Horse is a hill figure on the escarpment of Salisbury Plain, approximately east of Westbury in Wiltshire, England. Located on the edge of Bratton Downs and lying just below an Iron Age hill fort, it is the oldest ...
* Litlington White Horse
The Litlington White Horse is a chalk hill figure depicting a horse, situated on Hindover Hill (known locally as High-and-Over) in the South Downs, looking over the River Cuckmere to the west of the village of Litlington and north of East Bla ...
References
Bibliography
* Plenderleath, Rev. W. C., ''The White Horses of the West of England'' (London: Allen & Storr, 1892).External links
*The Osmington White Horse Restoration
{{coord, 50.65741, N, 2.40438, W, source:placeopedia, display=title 1808 works 1808 establishments in England Protected areas of Dorset History of Dorset Tourist attractions in Dorset Hill figures in England White horses (hill figures) in England