My task today was to find and photograph the remaining six of Wiltshire’s eight chalk horses. It was quite a challenge but I found them all.
The Devizes horse was carved in 1999 in celebration of the Millennium. You need to go to Roundway to see it, not Devizes, which is a very big town. Took me ages to find this one and could not get a good picture of it. Oh, for a drone!
The Alton Barnes horse (1812) was much easier to see, especially if you turned around and looked back in the direction you came from.
The Pewsey horse was very far away (about a mile) and I couldn’t get a closer photo although I was on a road just above him when I was looking for a photo spot. He’s a bit underfed.
The Marlborough horse (1804) is a bit smaller than most. Marlborough is a big town and looks very prosperous. The horse is just out of town, up a lane, near a church and down a path by school playing fields. My best shot was across a netball court. At times I was using both the car’s GPS and Google maps to find viewing places. There are practically no signs!
The Hackpen horse (1838) came clearly into sight as I drove along the road which, of course, had no pulling over place. But there was a signpost and a road up to it!! I found a little passing place to pull over and take a picture just before a police car raced by. I wondered if there were illegal goings-on at the top of the hill, where people were walking down beside the horse.
Last came the Broad Town horse (1864) which was very close to the Hackpen one. Those two were also the brightest and whitest horses so maybe they have been recently rechalked. Also, it was sunnier in the afternoon and they showed up better in the brighter light and they were not miles away.
A few miles before the last two horses I saw an interesting hill, which was definitely not natural. It is a prehistoric mound called Silbury Hill and is part of the Avebury World Heritage Site. After my last horse I turned back to visit the Avebury henge and stone circles. The outer circle is the largest stone circle in the world. Avebury slightly predates Stonehenge.
Wow love the different horses. What do they do to rechalk, sort go over it with chalk??? Good job for kids. Like a giant colouring job. Great pics Rutts. Love the canal and thatched houses. Wide bit of canal, no narrow boat needed??? Interesting info about the rocks etc pre dating Stonehenge.
ReplyDeleteA great journey to see all the horses- well done.How great to see the stones.Love the canal and thatched cottage too
ReplyDeleteOh those green and pleasant and lands - and green and leafy lanes! Horses are great, congratulations on getting to all of them. Bit of a treasure hunt! Love Avebury and thatched cottages; getting all nostalgic here!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous achievement.
ReplyDeleteOn a mission Heather. A bit like a silo hunt. Mission accomplished! Will we ever know the significance of those plonked stones in circles or lines, from Britain to Corsica? Verdant countryside to be wandering.
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