The Litlington White Horse

[poliphilo]

Just down the road from the famous Long Man of Wilmington- with his two staves- is the White Horse of Litlington, a hill figure dating from the 1920s. Legend says a group of farm lads cut it in a single night- which the experts say is impossible. But what do the experts know? Have they ever cut a hill figure? I rest my case. It replaced an earlier horse which was cut in the 1830s and sited a little higher and a little to the left. The design has been tinkered with over the years. Originally all four feet were on the ground but a foreleg was raised in the 1980s to make it look lively.

The horse is a favourite jumping off point for hang gliders. When we were there yesterday morning they were swarming around it like flies.