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‘the place commonly known as the White Horse Hill’[cartulary of the Abbey of Abingdon c. 1072-84]
George’s Hill
Across from the horse is George’s Hill, associated with the patron Saint as the place where he slew the dragon; ‘the blood poisoned the ground and left a white chalk scar for all to see’.
St George slaying the dragon, Margaret Beaufort Book of Hours, (French, c.1440-5)
Although the legend of Saint George and the Slaying the Dragon, according to Jacobus de Voragine in The Golden Legend (c.1229-1298), happened in the East and George was not adopted as the patron saint of England until the end of the fourteenth century, there was a similar existing Anglo-Saxon legend with which the hill could be associated.
The Giant’s Steps
Across from the White horse there is also the Manger, a dramatic dry valley with steep rippled sides left from the retreating permafrost during the last Ice Age. These ripples are known as the Giant’s Steps.
This is a little bit of where I’m from and of who I am. The White Horse Hill in Uffington is a truly beautiful place, one that for me is full of happy memories. It is where we would go on family walks, go to eat a picnic, and go to test out our poorly made kites. I have made hundreds of wishes on the horses eye (I’m sure all of which came true…probably) and it is the spot where, as teenagers, my friends and I would camp and ‘get away’. From the top I can see my village and maybe even my house if I squint hard enough. And even now, when I get the long three hour train back from uni, its the first thing I see which tells me that I’m home. Its breathtaking and a place that is full of legend that just exudes mystery and I would encourage anyone who visits Oxfordshire to take a stroll to the top.
Here are some pictures that I have taken on my walks up there:
Not far from the White Horse is also the ancient burial ground of Wayland’s Smithy….
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