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All the United Kingdom England Wiltshire Hackpen White Horse

Hackpen White Horse

England's only square-dimension hill horse was built to celebrate Queen Victoria's coronation.

Wiltshire, England

Added By
DImitrios Chatzinas
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The Hackpen White Horse, sporting a cartoonish eye.   Andrew Bowden/CC BY-SA 2.0
The Hackpen White Horse, sporting a cartoonish eye.   Andrew Bowden/CC BY-SA 2.0
An aerial view of the horse.   Dave Price/CC BY-SA 2.0
Close-up view from the nearby rural road coming from Broad Hinton.   Brian Robert Marshall/CC BY-SA 2.0
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About

The white horse on Hackpen Hill stands out within Wiltshire, a county known for its herd of larger-than-life chalk figures, for a mathematical reason. Measuring a neat 90 square feet, it’s the only square-dimension horse in England.

The carving is of unknown origins; however, most speculate a parish clerk named Henry Eatwell created the figure in 1838 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s coronation. The horse is etched atop a hill that divides cattle country from the chalk downs, which is believed to be referenced in the phrase “as different as chalk and cheese” (the English equivalent of comparing apples and oranges).

Though the horse was meant to honor a royal, its cartoonish shape makes it look quite unsuited to be a steed fit for a queen. Critics have looked down upon its “fox-like” design and chalked it up to being no more than a Victorian folly. Regardless of the criticism, the Hackpen White Horse is still a beloved local landmark. It receives regular scouring, making it a rather well-groomed specimen. Real horses frequent its field as well and can be seen grazing alongside the carving, as if welcoming it into their herd.

Like most other chalk horses, the appearance of the Hackpen Hill equine has changed over time. It sometimes sports a large, doe-like eye. In 2009, it was covered in red fabric as part of Red Nose Day, a charity campain organized by Comic Relief.

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Horses Giant Animals Geoglyphs Seen From Space Victorian

Know Before You Go

It's open year around. Parking on the top of the hill provides access to the area. The horse is in walking distance from the nearby Barbury Castle. The best view of the horse is said to be from the nearby B4041 road, whilst the A361 road near Broad Hinton also provides a clear view. You can also view the horse from the B4041 road. The A361 road near Broad Hinton also provides a clear view.

Don't feed the real horses that frequent the field.

Community Contributors

Added By

brujah14

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe

  • Kerry Wolfe

Published

January 3, 2018

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Sources
  • https://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/things-to-do/hackpen-white-horse-p441413
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackpen_White_Horse
  • http://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/10/travel/tracking-wiltshire-s-white-horses.html?pagewanted=all
  • https://wiltshirewhitehorses.org.uk/hackpen.html
Hackpen White Horse
45 Wiltshire Cres
Wiltshire, England
United Kingdom
51.47244, -1.81751
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Nearby Places

Barbury Castle

Wiltshire, England

miles away

Broad Town White Horse

Broad Town, England

miles away

The Red Lion

Avebury, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Wiltshire

Wiltshire

England

Places 12
Stories 3

Nearby Places

Barbury Castle

Wiltshire, England

miles away

Broad Town White Horse

Broad Town, England

miles away

The Red Lion

Avebury, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Wiltshire

Wiltshire

England

Places 12
Stories 3

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