White horse landmark to be examined for damage after red cross pinned to it

A white horse cut into the hillside hundreds of years ago will be checked for damage after red fabric was pinned across it to form a St George’s cross.

English Heritage has confirmed the fabric will be removed from the Westbury White Horse, which is around 180ft high, as soon as possible.

The landmark, which can be visible for miles, was carved into the chalk grassland below an Iron Age hillfort at Bratton Camp in Wiltshire hundreds of years ago.

A spokesperson for English Heritage said: “Red fabric has been attached to the Westbury White House.

“We’ll be removing it as soon as we can and seeing whether the pegs that were used have caused any damage to this much-loved historic landmark.”

Local records suggest the horse originally appeared in the late 1600s, probably to commemorate the supposed Battle of Ethandun which is thought to have taken place at Bratton Camp in 878 AD.

The reason for the St George’s cross to be pinned to the horse is unclear.

However, there has in recent weeks been widespread flying of Union and St George’s cross flags following an online campaign.

Some people have celebrated the campaign, while others claim the increased number of flags is a result of xenophobia or racism.

In a statement, a spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: “We are aware of red material being pinned across the Westbury White Horse to form the St George’s Cross.

“No criminal offences are thought to have been committed and we are not investigating it.”

The horse originally had to be scoured to keep it white, with the last recorded scouring taking place in 1853.

In the 1950s, it was covered in white-painted concrete but this turned grey and was replaced in 1993.

English Heritage researched methods for cleaning the horse, with a specialist steam cleaning system first used in 2006.

The system creates a clean surface, which environmentally friendly white paint can then be applied to.

There have been further cleaning and repainting rounds in 2011, 2016 and 2018.

In 2023, an extensive clean and repair work took place. This involved a conservation team abseiling down the near-vertical face of the horse.