Unraveling the mystery of England’s white horses: experts reveal the history of the ancient figures on the hills – and warn they could soon DISAPPEAR from Britain altogether

Scattered across the English countryside, you’ll find a curious feature that often surprises tourists: huge horses drawn into chalk hills, stretching hundreds of feet.

These mysterious historical monuments, officially known as ‘geolyphs’, provide a breathtaking sight for miles.

The oldest of them all – the white horse of Uffington in Oxfordshire, just east of Swindon – is believed to be a whopping 3,000 years old.

Experts recently revealed that the Uffington horse is shrinking, raising fears it could be lost without urgent conservation work.

MailOnline takes a closer look at these oft-overlooked national treasures and why they were originally carved into the landscape.

Today, no white horse in England is as old or as well-preserved as Uffington’s, dating back 3,000 years and measuring 110 meters in length.

The stark monument dates back to the later Bronze Age or Iron Age, between 1740 BC and 210 BC.

It’s part of a place steeped in history, from an ancient hillfort just southwest of the horse, to Neolithic burial mounds and an undulating geological feature known as ‘The Manger’.

Adrian Cox, a regional archaeologist at the National Trust, said the horse could have originally been drawn as a “territorial marker or sign of ownership of the land.”

“We know it was the Late Bronze Age and this was a time when there was already a lot of activity at that particular site,” he told MailOnline.

“This was an important hill before the horse was drawn over it, so it was a special place and a place where Late Bronze Age people felt they needed to mark in some way.

“It’s visible for miles, so it’s a good territorial marker.”

It may have had a “ritual function,” Cox said, perhaps as a symbol to show that people were buried there and to indicate “the peculiarity of the place.”

It could also have served as a warning, telling rival communities to stay away, or even as an early form of artistic expression.

According to Cox, these are “all just theories,” and the true purpose of the Uffington horse will probably forever remain a mystery.

As to why Bronze Age people specifically chose a horse, he said the animal was revered thousands of years ago and may have been a symbol of power.

“While we are very familiar with horses today, they were a fairly recent introduction to the British Isles in the Bronze Age,” he said.

“People who had horses had a certain amount of power. Horses were very important in communication, getting to a place quickly and in warfare.

“So if you had a lot of horses, you would have had a lot of power over the land.”

Today, the Uffington White Horse is not only a must-see for history buffs, but also a pilgrimage for music fans.

It was the cover of XTC’s 1982 album ‘English Settlement’, and three years later appeared in the video for Kate Bush’s single ‘Cloudbusting’.

But it could disappear “within 10 to 20 years” due to the overgrowth of grass and moss, had it not been for conservation efforts, said Cox, which is overseen by the National Trust, along with Historic England and English Heritage. .

Each year, volunteers and staff clean the geolyph to remove moss and dirt, then refill it with fresh chalk to keep it sparkling white.

The Uffington horse is particularly vulnerable to disappearing under the undergrowth because it is so slender.

The National Trust recently caused consternation among fans by saying that the Uffington White Horse has shrunk over decades.

Ironically, part of the reason for this is probably because the National Trust has been so careful not to make it bigger when replenishing the chalk, Cox said.

There have been at least twenty chalk hill horse figures in England, most of which are in Wiltshire – although many more probably existed before they were lost to a lack of conservation efforts.

Most that can still be found are not ancient and have been made since the 19th century, probably in homage to the original one in Uffington.

Some were created to commemorate the reign of George III (1760-1820), who was interested in horses, Cox said, including the Osmington White Horse in Dorset, which actually depicts the king riding it.

The second oldest surviving horse is the Westbury White Horse on the Salisbury Plain in Wilshire, site of the famous Stonehenge, also known for its mysterious and much-discussed origins.

According to English Heritage, local records suggest that the Woolbury White Horse was originally felled in the late 17th century, probably to commemorate a battle believed to have taken place at Bratton Camp in 878.

Another 50m white horse at Alton Barnes in Wilshire was felled in 1812 at the behest of local farmer Robert Pile.

In 2019, Alton Barnes’ horse was trampled and rendered ‘defaced’ by Extinction Rebellion just weeks after being recovered by local schoolchildren.