Pewsey White Horse, Chalk horse figure on Pewsey Hill, England
Pewsey White Horse is a chalk figure of a horse cut into a hillside to the northwest of the village of Pewsey, in Wiltshire, England. The figure faces right and is set into a slope at an angle that makes it visible from the valley below.
A first chalk horse was cut here in 1785, but it slowly faded over the following decades until little remained. The current figure dates from 1937, when volunteers from the Pewsey Fire Brigade created a new version on the same hillside.
The figure is one of several chalk carvings found across the hills of Wiltshire, and local people take a clear pride in keeping it visible. Walking the surrounding paths gives a good sense of how the carving fits into the open landscape.
The figure can be seen from the A345 road near Pewsey without leaving your car, but footpaths on the hill also allow you to walk up close. Clear days with good light make the outline stand out much more from a distance.
The Pewsey Fire Brigade volunteers who made the 1937 horse used an image of King George VI as their reference for the shape of the figure. Using a royal portrait as a template for a chalk horse is an unusual detail that most visitors never hear about.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
