A1 White Horse motorway landmark explained from unexpected origin to world war problem

If you've ever journeyed up the A1 motorway in North Yorkshire on a clear day, you might have spotted the peculiar sight of a massive white horse to the east near Thirsk. Rest assured, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you, and no, Yorkshire farmers haven't managed to breed an enormous super horse. The real story behind it may astonish you.

The Kilburn White Horse is actually a colossal rock carving, roughly the size of a football pitch, etched into a hillside near the village of Kilburn in the North York Moors National Park. The origins of the Horse are somewhat unclear, but it's known that the horse was conceived and funded by Kilburn businessman Thomas Taylor in 1857, reports Yorkshire Live[1]. Taylor's inspiration came from a visit to the ancient Uffington White Horse, which was carved into an Oxfordshire hillside around 3,000 years ago, and he decided he wanted a similar horse in his hometown.

Local schoolmaster John Hodgson, with the assistance of his pupils and local volunteers (it's uncertain if the children were also willing volunteers), carved out the horse. To create the horse, they excavated the soil on the hillside, which must have been quite an achievement, considering that the carving is 97 metres long and 67 metres high. However, there was one minor issue.

The Uffington White Horse, naturally white due to its chalk composition, contrasts with the Kilburn White Horse, which was carved into a sandstone hill. Instead of settling for the 'Kilburn Beige Horse', the carving was adorned with limestone pebbles, offering a pale grey hue rather than pure white. For the past 150 years, volunteers have diligently maintained the horse's colour through a mix of painting and replenishing the limestone pebbles.

During the Second World War, the horse's visibility posed a problem as enemy bombers could use it as a landmark, necessitating its concealment.

Nowadays, visitors can ascend the hillside where the horse is etched, enjoying splendid views across North Yorkshire.

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References

1. ^ Yorkshire Live (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
2. ^ signing up to our newsletter here. (www.examinerlive.co.uk)