Natural landmarks · South West England
Osmington White Horse
In or near Preston.
The Osmington White Horse is a hill figure cut into the limestone of Osmington Hill just north of Weymouth in Dorset in 1808. It is in the South Dorset Downs in the parish of Osmington. The figure dep
Andrew Smith — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Upwey · 4.5 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit the Osmington White Horse, the nearest railway station is Upwey, located 4.5 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is DT3 6LU, and entry to the site is free.
About
The Osmington White Horse is a hill figure cut into the limestone of Osmington Hill just north of Weymouth in Dorset in 1808. It is in the South Dorset Downs in the parish of Osmington. The figure depicts King George III riding his horse and can be seen for miles around. The king was a regular visitor to Weymouth and made it 'the first resort'. The figure is 280 feet (85 m) long and 323 feet (98 m) high and is best viewed from the A353 road. In 1989 the figure was restored for a broadcast of the TV show Challenge Anneka, although the work was subsequently criticised by historians for doing more harm than good. Anneka Rice, presenter of the show, stated that planning permission and advice had been sought before the work. In August 2011 pranksters added a 'horn' made from plastic sheeting to make the horse resemble a unicorn. In 2012, it was announced that for the Olympics 2012, the horse would be cleaned and slightly recut to make it look like the original when it was cut in 1808. Restoration was completed on 11 March 2012, and Princess Anne attended a ceremony at which a new plaque made of local stone was revealed. The restoration was done by volunteers, who spent two years carrying out repairs. The figure is designated as a Scheduled Monument.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: White Horse Hill SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Dorset
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The Osmington White Horse is a hill figure cut into the limestone of Osmington Hill just north of Weymouth in Dorset in 1808. It is in the South Dorset Downs in the parish of Osmington. The figure depicts King George III riding his horse and can be seen for miles around. The king was a regular visitor to Weymouth and made it 'the first resort'. The figure is 280 feet (85 m) long and 323 feet (98 m) high and is best viewed from the A353 road. In 1989 the figure was restored for a broadcast of the TV show Challenge Anneka, although the work was subsequently criticised by historians for doing more harm than good. Anneka Rice, presenter of the show, stated that planning permission and advice had been sought before the work. In August 2011 pranksters added a 'horn' made from plastic sheeting to make the horse resemble a unicorn. In 2012, it was announced that for the Olympics 2012, the horse would be cleaned and slightly recut to make it look like the original when it was cut in 1808. Restoration was completed on 11 March 2012, and Princess Anne attended a ceremony at which a new plaque made of local stone was revealed. The restoration was done by volunteers, who spent two years carrying out repairs. The figure is designated as a Scheduled Monument.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
- Coordinates
- 50.6574, -2.4044
- District
- Dorset
- Parish
- Weymouth
- Postcode
- DT3 6LU
- Parliamentary constituency
- South Dorset
- Nearest railway station
- Upwey — 4.5 km
Sources
- wikipedia: Osmington White Horse (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Osmington White Horse?
- Osmington White Horse is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode DT3 6LU), in the parish of Weymouth.
- What is Osmington White Horse?
- The Osmington White Horse is a hill figure cut into the limestone of Osmington Hill just north of Weymouth in Dorset in 1808. It is in the South Dorset Downs in the parish of Osmington. The figure dep
- How do I get to Osmington White Horse?
- The nearest railway station is Upwey, about 4.5 km away. Drivers can use postcode DT3 6LU.
- Is Osmington White Horse a protected site?
- Yes — Osmington White Horse is part of the White Horse Hill SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Dorset National Landscape (AONB).
- Is Osmington White Horse free to visit?
- Yes, Osmington White Horse is free to enter.
- How do I get to Osmington White Horse?
- The nearest railway station is Upwey, about 4.5 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode DT3 6LU.