The Osmington White Horse is a mountain figure that was cut into the limestone of Osmington mountain just north of Weymouth in Dorset in 1808. It is in the South Dorset Downs in the parish of Osmington. The 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 323 feet (98 m) high and 280 feet (85 m) long and is best viewed from the A353 road.
Now I was show you two different figures to compare past and present images Osmington White Horse.
In 1989 the figure was reestablished for a transmission of the TV program 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’ produced using plastic sheeting to cause the pony to take after 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.
