Wiltshire’s White Horses – a talk for u3a

On 8 November 2022 members of Westbury & District u3a enjoyed an enlightening talk on some of Wiltshire’s White Horses by Garry Gibbons. 

Garry begin by saying “let’s dare to look at Wiltshire Horses anew!”; he explained that until fairly recently the only information available was that collected by Rev WC Plenderleith, rector of St James’ Church at Cherhill, who sent out a questionnaire to local vicars to gain information on Wiltshire archaeology.  

In 1874 Plenderleith’s The White Horses of West of England was published, but was dedicated mainly to the Uffington White Horse and only Cherhill’s and Westbury’s of Wiltshire, with Westbury’s getting star billing, probably because of the association with King Alfred. It has been proven that much of the information given in the paper was not factual; Garry has discovered that many of the dates given do not add up, therefore raising questions as to the whole validity of the paper.  

The details given by Plenderleith, which he supposedly gleaned from “an intelligent old man”, include the Cherhill White Horse being allegedly cut in 1780 at the expense of Dr C Allsup of Calne. 

Marlborough White Horse was designed by Captain Reed of the town; it was marked out with pegs and filled in with chalk. It grew two extra legs in the early 1860s and was repaired in 1873! 

The old Devizes White Horse, below Oliver’s Castle, was done in outline only; Shoemakers of Devizes proposed it should be recut in 1909, but the proposal was withdrawn. Current drone footage shows it as a very faint outline.  

We are planning several trips next year, including one to Fussell Farms in Frome.  

Anyone interested in joining Westbury u3a is welcome to come along to our January meeting with FREE ADMISSION on 10 January, 2pm, in the United Reformed Church Hall, The Butts, off Hospital Road, Westbury. The speaker will be Peter Gill with The Wit and Songs of Noel Coward.