Restoration of Westbury White Horse comes to an end

Restoration work to clean, repaint and repair the Westbury White Horse monument has been completed.

The huge horse carved into the chalk hillside is thought to have been created in the 1600s, and it is so steep workers had to abseil down it.

Water was used to clean off algae and dirt in a project being funded by English Heritage.

The monument is thought to have been created to mark Kind Alfred's victory over the Danish in 878.

The joints between the many separate pieces that make up the horse were repaired through packing and resin-filling, before finally applying multiple coats of fresh paint.

The striking figure is a much-loved local landmark which has become a symbol for Westbury and Wiltshire.

Rather than being formed in chalk like other hillside figures, since 1957 the surface of the horse has been defined in concrete.

This aged and greyed before being overlaid with a newer surface of white concrete late in the 20th Century.

Recent research has led to an ongoing programme of care, with further regular maintenance and repainting to be expected in the years to come.

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