Uffington White Horse

The Uffington White Horse is a highly stylized figure, 374 feet long, cut out of the turf on the upper slopes of Uffington Castle, near The Ridgeway. It is thought to represent a Celtic god or tribal symbol. For centuries, however, local people have maintained that it is a portrait of the dragon slain by Saint George on the nearby Dragon Hill. The cutting exposes the underlying chalk making the horse a striking figure. Up until the late 19th century the horse was scoured every seven years as part of a more general local festival. However, when the regular cleaning was halted the figure quickly became obscured. It now needs frequent work by English Heritage for the figure to remain visible. In August 2002 the figure was defaced with the addition of a rider and three dogs by members of the Countryside Alliance. See also: Vale of White Horse \nCategory:Oxfordshire