Carved in 1999, this is the youngest of the carved White Horses and is located at bank field, close to Roundway Hill. It was created to celebrate the
millennium but it is not the first white horse to be carved near Devizes - back in 1845 a horse was cut into the west side of Roundway Hill underneath Oliver's Castle. After years of neglect, Snobs Horse, as it was known locally, disappeared around 1922 although it's outline has been seen occasionally.
Situated at the top of a hill with plenty of walks in the surrounding area, this horse can be viewed as part of a visit to other local landmarks such as the famous civil war site of the battle of Roundway Down. The views on a clear day are outstanding, looking across to Bishops Canning and the Pewsey Vale. In the summer, harvest colours combine with deep greens and blue skies to provide the opportunity for some excellent landscape photos.
In the aerial photos the White Horse looks a little flat, but when viewed from ground level the hill contours are much steeper and the hills are more defined to look at. This may be the youngest horse in Wiltshire, but it is still a fine example, and shows us that location is everything when choosing where to site these carvings.
Access Information
From Devizes, head towards the
village of Roundway and where Folly Road curves left, go straight on. Part way up the hill there is a fork - left leads to
Roundway Down ( a fine example of an Iron Age hill fort) but veer right and you will go up the hill to gain a vantage point of the White Horse.
This video clip gives a good overview of the site and surrounding views on a summers day in late July.
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