{"id":25518,"date":"2023-04-02T07:53:48","date_gmt":"2023-04-02T05:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=141848"},"modified":"2023-04-06T17:36:00","modified_gmt":"2023-04-06T15:36:00","slug":"uffington-white-horse-oxfordshire-walk","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/uffington-white-horse-oxfordshire-walk\/","title":{"rendered":"Uffington White Horse, Oxfordshire walk"},"content":{"rendered":"

Enjoy a short family-friendly walk to one of Oxfordshire’s most magnificent landmarks, the Uffington White Horse, in this step-by-step guide <\/p>

By Ben Lerwill\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 02 April 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

This short but history-packed walk curves across the blustery flanks of the Berkshire Downs, leading to the 3,000-year-old Uffington White Horse<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The route is family-friendly and the views are huge throughout, with the Cotswolds outspread in the distance. What\u2019s more, there\u2019s an Iron Age hillfort to explore, too.<\/p>\n

Looking to learn more about the history of Britain? Check out our guides to Britain\u2019s castles<\/a>, churches<\/a> and lighthouses<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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View from the ancient site of Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Uffington White Horse walk<\/h2>\n

1.4 miles\/ 2.2km | 1 hour | easy | 61m ascent<\/em><\/p>\n

1. White Horse Hill Car Park<\/h4>\n

Head through the gate at the bottom of the car park then follow the line of the fence that snakes across the open hillside. The Vale of White Horse is already in full view to your left, backdropped by a vast swathe of rural Oxfordshire, while skylarks<\/a> flute and flutter overhead.<\/p>\n

Discover more walks in England<\/h4>\n

Discover the beauty of the English countryside on foot, from the quiet country lanes and riversides of South England to the spectacular hills and dales of North England. Here is our guide to England\u2019s best walks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/div>

\""Walking\"<\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>

2. Memorial bench<\/h4>\n

When you reach a memorial bench \u2013 engraved with the aphorism \u2018What is life but one grand adventure?\u2019 \u2013 follow the wide grassy path as it bends uphill to the right, then shortly afterwards veers left towards a gate.<\/p>\n

The prehistoric outline of the White Horse is already partly visible up ahead.<\/p>\n

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Look and listen for skylarks on your walk\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

3. Dragonhill Road<\/h4>\n

Cross the minor road (Dragonhill Road) and continue upslope along the trail, soon arriving directly above the thin chalky trenches that make up the White Horse.<\/p>\n

4. White Horse<\/h4>\n

This extraordinary landmark is Britain\u2019s oldest white horse figure, essentially forming a giant piece of abstract Bronze Age art.<\/p>\n

Up close, not only do you get a sense of the thought and precision that went into its creation, but you find yourself pondering the questions that archaeologists have long grappled with. Who designed it \u2013 and how? Was it a spiritual totem? A warning to outside tribes? Whatever the truth, it now looks out across a mighty panorama of farms, fields, wind turbines and woodlands.<\/p>\n

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The prehistoric Uffington White Horse measures 111 metres from the tip of its tail to its ear\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

5. Uffington Castle<\/h4>\n

If you\u2019re feeling adventurous, you can take a downslope detour to reach the flat-topped hillock of Dragon Hill.<\/p>\n

Otherwise, simply head uphill away from the White Horse, following the grassy track to the crest of the slope, where a trig point stands sentry over the colossal Iron Age hillfort of Uffington Castle. You\u2019re now also very close to a section of the Ridgeway National Trail<\/a>.<\/p>\n

6. Meadow walk<\/h4>\n

After making a clockwise half-loop of the fort\u2019s grassy banks, letting your mind wander back to the huts and defences that once stood here, leave the fort at the gap in its western wall and head back downhill towards a gate. Follow the path diagonally for 100 yards across a separate meadow.<\/p>\n

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The Ridgeway at Whitehorse Hill\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

7. Return to car park<\/h4>\n

Recross the road, then return across the field you started in, passing a toposcope on your way to the top of the car park.<\/p>\n

Uffington White Horse map<\/h2>\n

Uffington White Horse \u2013 OS Maps walking route<\/a><\/p>\n

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Useful information<\/h3>\n

Uffington White Horse Car park<\/h4>\n

The National Trust\u2019s White Horse Hill Car Park<\/a> (members free; non-members \u00a32 for two hours or \u00a34 all day, coins or Paybyphone app only).<\/p>\n

Terrain<\/h4>\n

Mainly smooth but can get muddy in places. It\u2019s grazing land, so expect sheep poo! There are no stiles, although the route has ups and downs so would be hard going with a wheelchair or buggy.<\/p>\n

Map<\/h4>\n

OS Explorer 170<\/p>\n

Eat, drink and stay<\/h4>\n

The White Horse<\/a> is an atmospheric old pub and hotel in the nearby hamlet of Woolstone, with a history dating back to the 1500s.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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