Kilburn White Horse gets £20,000 paint job

The famous Kilburn White Horse on the edge of the North York Moors has been given a £20,000 makeover.

Forestry England, which manages the site, said contractors needed ropes to scale the steep, hillside feature.

It took four days to respray the horse, which was created by local school master John Hodgson in 1857.

The horse had not been painted since previous custodians, the volunteer-run Kilburn White Horse Association, handed over the reins in 2018.

The work cost about £20,000 to complete, Forestry England said.

Ed Woollard, head of recreation and public affairs at Forestry England, said: "With key groundwork delivered over the last few years and the White Horse once more glistening under its coat of new white paint, we can look forward to a regular programme of maintenance.

"Whilst safety regulations limit volunteer involvement directly on the horse, we look forward to establishing new opportunities with the community."

Michael Graham, director of recreation and wellbeing at the North Yorkshire Moors National Park Authority, said the Kilburn White Horse "is among the most iconic sites in Yorkshire".

The horse measures about 97m (318ft) long and 67m (220ft) high.

It is Britain's largest white horse by surface area and is the most northerly of the country's chalk figures, according to the Kilburn White Horse Association.

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