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A hill figure is a large visual representation created by cutting into a steep hillside and revealing the underlying geology. It is a type of geoglyph usually designed to be seen from afar rather than above. In some cases trenches are dug and rubble made from material brighter than the natural bedrock is placed into them. The new material is often chalk, a soft and white form of limestone, leading to the alternative name of chalk figure for this form of art.

Hill figures are common in England: examples include the Cerne Abbas giant, the Uffington White Horse, the Long Man of Wilmington, various badges of military units as well as the “lost” carvings at Cambridge, Oxford and Plymouth Hoe.

History
The creation of hill figures has been practised since prehistory and can include human (gigantotomy) and animal forms (cutting horses is known as “leucippotomy”) as well as more abstract symbols and, in the modern era, advertising brands.

The reasons for the creation for the figures are varied and obscure. The Uffington Horse probably held religious significance, whereas the Cerne Abbas giant might have been a work of political satire. The figures are usually created by the cutting away of the top layer of relatively poor soil on suitable hillsides. This exposes the white chalk beneath, which contrasts well with the short green hill grass, and the image is clearly visible for a considerable distance. Despite some of the figures being of great age, they are at the same time relatively new. The figures need to be maintained to stay visible, and local people often work to restore their local landmark on a regular basis, thereby continuing an unbroken tradition.

Lost figures
Since hill figures need to be maintained by the removal of regrown turf, only those which have motivated the local populace to look after them have survived. Ancient figures all have an associated fair or ceremony which involves maintaining them.

Unmaintained figures gradually fade away. Firle Corn at Firle Beacon, Sussex could be a lost figure. Its existence is suggested by infrared photography. If it is a lost figure, its age is uncertain, and unlikely to be prehistoric in origin as only one figure in the UK has been shown to be of this age, the Uffington White Horse.

Some of the most significant figures

England
Alton Barnes white horse, Wiltshire (1812)
Broad Town white horse, Wiltshire (1864)
Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne, Kent (1993)
Bulford Kiwi, carved by New Zealand soldiers at Sling Camp in 1919
Cerne Abbas giant, Dorset
Cleadon Hills white horse, Cleadon, Tyne and Wear (before 1887)
Old Devizes white horse, or the Snobs’ horse, Wiltshire (1845)
New Devizes white horse, Wiltshire (1999)
Cherhill White Horse, Wiltshire (1780)
Folkestone White Horse, Kent (2003)
Fovant Down badges, Wiltshire
Hackpen or Broad Hinton or Winterbourne Bassett white horse, Wiltshire (1838?)
Hindhead white horse, Surrey (before 1913, lost)
Ham Hill or Inkpen white horse, Wiltshire (1865-1877)
Kilburn White Horse, Yorkshire (1857)
Lenham Memorial Cross, Kent (1922)
Old Litlington (Alfriston) white horse, Sussex (c.1838)
New Litlington white horse, Sussex (1925)
Marlborough or Preshute white horse, Wiltshire (1804)
Osmington White Horse, Dorset (c.1808)
Old Pewsey White Horse, Wiltshire (1785)
New Pewsey white horse, Wiltshire (1937)
Rockley white horse, Wiltshire (discovered 1948, now lost)
Tan Hill white horse, Wiltshire (lost)
Uffington White Horse (Bronze Age, 1400 BC to 600 BC)
Westbury White Horse (in the parish of Bratton), Wiltshire (before 1742)
Whipsnade Zoo white lion, on the Dunstable Downs, Bedfordshire (1931)
The Whitehawk hawk, in Sheepcote Valley on the South Downs, east of Brighton, Sussex (2001)
Whiteleaf Cross, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire (earliest ref. 1742)
Wye Crown, Kent
Long Man of Wilmington, Sussex (c. 16th century)

Scotland
Mormond Horse, on the south-west flank of Mormond Hill, about 10 mi (16 km) from Fraserburgh, Aberdeen.[3][4]
Mormond White Stag, on the other side of the hill from the Mormond Horse. About 10 mi (16 km) from Fraserburgh, Aberdeen.[5]

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Category: Folklore of England
Tags: English, folklore, Hill figure

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Chronos

Working as a Manager for Uhaul, when I do get spare time I sit with my ouija board, do as many paranormal investigations as I can, and research everything and anything paranormal.