Cantiaci Hillfigures - introduction Hillfigures, a mostly English phenomenon, are indelibly associated with Wessex, thanks to the plethora of White Horses that gallop their way across the Downs of Wiltshire.

However, the three counties covered by the Cantiaci TTFF have their fair share of these historic landmarks, thanks mainly to the chalky swathes of the North and South Downs and - possibly? - the use of a White Horse as the emblem of Invicta.

Indeed, Kent can proudly display the newest addition to the list with the construction of a brand new Horse at Folkestone. The area cannot boast of anything so old and mysterious as the Uffington Horse, but it can be proud of its Long Man, its hillfigure war memorials and its unique Wye Crown. It also has 'lost' figures, which will receive an honourable mention.

Visits to the Cantiaci Hillfigures are visits to some of the loveliest areas of SE England, as well as historic journeys. I will include directions for those who wish to see for themselves what two-dimensional pictures can only hint at.

By Mark McManus

 

Cantiaci Hillfigures The Folkestone Horse To start with the youngest... Kent, despite its equine symbol, never actually had a White Horse of its own.

This strange omission has now been rectified, thanks to an idea first mooted in 1998 as a Millenium project. Designed by the artist Charles Newington, the Horse galloped into trouble from the start.

The hillside upon which it stands is a Site of Special Scientifc Interest, so English Nature objected to the idea immediately. Even the EU vetoed the construction. However, the Government firmly stated that no laws were being broken and so, after a few years of legal wrangling, construction finally began in 2003.

The Horse was built by Gurkas stationed in the area. Trenches were dug, and slabs of chalk and limestone pinned into the trenches to create an outline which will endure. Building work took about two weeks. The figure is 100 yards long, and can best be seen from the Tesco car park off the M20 Junction 12.

 

Cantiaci Hillfigures Lenham Cross The Cross can be seen from the A20, about 9 miles ENE of Maidstone.

It was designed as a memorial to 42 men of Lenham parish who died during the Great War, and was proposed by Mr C Groom, headmaster of the village school. Completed in 1922, it stands 189ft tall.

The memorial stone placed near the Cross was used for Remembrance Day services until 1960, when several incidents of inclement weather forced the parish to move the stone - and the services - to the comfort of the local church.

To start with the youngest... Kent, despite its equine symbol, never actually had a White Horse of its own.

This strange omission has now been rectified, thanks to an idea first mooted in 1998 as a Millenium project. Designed by the artist Charles Newington, the Horse galloped into trouble from the start.

The hillside upon which it stands is a Site of Special Scientifc Interest, so English Nature objected to the idea immediately. Even the EU vetoed the construction. However, the Government firmly stated that no laws were being broken and so, after a few years of legal wrangling, construction finally began in 2003.

The Horse was built by Gurkas stationed in the area. Trenches were dug, and slabs of chalk and limestone pinned into the trenches to create an outline which will endure. Building work took about two weeks. The figure is 100 yards long, and can best be seen from the Tesco car park off the M20 Junction 12.

Cantiaci Hillfigures Litlington Horse A relatively small addition to the canon of equine hillfigures, the Horse is slightly less than 25 metres long. He can be viewed from several points along the road heading south from Wilmington, although the best views are on foot from the South Downs Way.

It is the second Horse on the site. The first stood slightly NW of the present figure. Cut in 1838 to commemorate Victoria's coronation ( local legend claims it was completed in a single day), it had overgrown and vanished completely by 1920.

Another legend claims that the horse is a memorial to a girl who was killed when the horse she was riding threw her after bolting down the hill. The present Horse was cut in 1924 by a Mr John Ade, whose grandfather helped with the cutting of the original Horse. He was assisted by two friends and, for unknown reasons, constructed it in moonlight.

Cantiaci Hillfigures Shoreham Cross When I went down to Shoreham

some time another year I found a cross for sorrow and pain for men to bear for lads I knew aforetime were sleeping otherwhere'

'A Kentish Lad', George A Vallins

Like its companion at Lenham, the Shoreham Cross was erected as a war memorial. The land on which it stands, towering over the village, was donated to the parish on a 999 year lease by the Rt Hon FB Mildmay MP in 1920. It was created by volunteers the same year and unveiled on Empire Day. The Cross stands 100ft high and overlooks the Darent Valley, only a few miles south of Lullingstone and Eynsford

Cantiaci Hillfigures The Long Man of Wilmington Other chalky figures exist in Kent, although the status of 'hillfigure' is dubious. A large white propeller decorates a field to commemorate the Battle of Britain, the outline of a small aeroplane at Dover commemorates the first cross-channel flight. However, these are set on flat ground rather than slopes and, while visible from the air, do not make very good landmarks for those on terra firma. A lost figure, the Buffs Badge at Canterbury, was carved into the bullet bank at the end of a firing range in 1922. A 55ft dragon, it was unfortunately allowed to grass over when the regiment whose symbol it was merged with another in 1958. So we follow the broad, verdant sweep of the South Downs into Sussex, where we find a hillfigure that is not only the undisputed lord of all the Cantiaci figures, but is also one of the most famous in the country. The Long Man can best be viewed from the entrance to the Priory car park at Wilmington. It stands on the north face of Windover Hill, and is surrounded by memories of the past: a quarry, directly to its right; flint mines pocking the crest above; barrows, crowning the peak of the Hill. He stands 70 metres high and his staves are slightly taller. His age and origins are a mystery, which has doubtless added to his popularity. The first documented mention is in a manuscript of 1779 which shows him with facial feastures and holding farming implements. Various theories have been put forward regarding who he

represents, some of them bizarre. They include King Harold, Mercury, Baldur, Thor, Wotan, Beowulf, the Hindu god Varuna ( Flinders Petrie's suggestion, surprisingly), Mohammed, St Paul, Apollo and John Gator with his geophys equipment (my personal theory). One particularly attractive theory has him carved by the monks of Wilmington, a chalk pilgrim advertising board for the night to those travelling the Pilgrims Way across the South Downs. No less a respected archaeologist than Cunliffe inspected examples taken from the Man and suggested Roman materials had been used in his construction. Resistivity tests have confirmed that, at various points in his history, he did indeed carry rakes, scythes, and even a plumed cap. A figure much resembling him was found on a Saxon coin discovered elsewhere in the Weald. A legend of warring giants has sprung from his position on the hill. Apparently, two giants once lived in the area - one on Windover Hill, the other at Firle Beacon. after an argument they threw rocks at each other. The Windover Giant was struck and now lies on the side of the hill where he fell... From the breezy peak of the aptly-named Windover Hill, high above the Long Man's head, it is possible on a clear day to look south and make out a white smudge on the hills a few miles away.

Cantiaci Hillfigures The West Clandon Dragon The Dragon, visible from the A246 east of Guildford, was created in 1977 to celebrate the Silver jubilee. Although it had grassed over by 1990, it was recently restored. It is the only hillfigure in Surrey, the Cantiaci county better known for theme parks, stockbrokers, and ageing cyclists in yellow lycra. A White Horse once existed in Surrey, but it disappeared early in the twentieth century. The Dragon was used because of a local legend which was recorded as early as 1776. According to the legend, the village of West Clandon was being terrorized by a dragon. The villagers told an army deserter, who was passing through, that they would grant him a pardon if he would dispose of the beast. The dragon was consequently attacked by the soldier's dog, who wore it down so that the man could strike a fatal blow.

Cantiaci Hillfigures The Whitehawk Hawk Located in the Sheepcote Valley on the eastern fringes of Brighton, the Hawk was created in the Summer of 2001 by a group of local artists called SameSky. Its inauguration ceremony saw it lit up like a beacon. Plans to hold annual festivities on the Hawk on the anniversary of its creation will include maintenance work to prevent its weathering.

Cantiaci Hillfigures Wye Crown Best seen from the country road heading east from Wye, or - further back - from the Ashford-Canterbury Road. The hillfigure is unique, there are no other Crowns in the country. Associated with - and maintained - by the students of Wye College, the Crown was created in 1902 to mark the imminent coronation of Edward VII. Its design was ingeniously simple. The outline of an 1887 florin was traced onto a piece of paper, which was attached to the lens of a theodolite. The theodolite was aimed at the hill, and workers with flags marked the outline as seen through the lens. On the night of August 9th 1902, the day of Edward's coronation, the Crown was illuminated by 1500 fairy lights. This has become a tradition, repeated at every coronation since.