White Horse Project moves further ahead (From Dorset Echo)

White Horse Project moves further ahead

10:59pm Monday 28th February 2011 in Community

THE next stage of the White Horse restoration should soon be under way. In February, representatives of all the authorities and groups involved in the restoration project came together for a workshop day in Osmington Village Hall to plan the next move – establishing and marking the exact outline of the original carving.

A wide and interesting variety of evidence has been consulted by different contributors. Local historians Steve White and Peter Read have studied contemporary paintings of George III on horseback, on which the original design was probably based. Dorset County archaeologist Steve Wallis has examined a mass of historical photographs dating back as far as 1883, with Oxford Archaeology assisting in surveys to relate the best ones to the landscape of the hill. The Ordnance Survey have consulted records of their earliest surveys as well as all the later evidence of aerial photography, and have the capability to create a digitised image, referenced to GPS. Meanwhile, English Heritage’s researcher, working on the ground itself, has been able to identify much of the 200-year-old earthwork forming the original boundary.

As a result of collating all the strands of evidence, it was possible to come to a unanimous agreement on all the key features of the figure, and how to capture them on the ground. English Heritage archaeologist Stewart Ainsworth will work with experts from the Ordnance survey to mark the outline temporarily and record it for the long term in survey-grade GPS coordinates. The task should be completed before the end of March.

Meanwhile a team led by Dorset ranger John Hayes is planning for the next phase of hard labour to clear the rest of the area within the established outline, and to rid the whole figure of the persistent weed growth which has been a problem throughout the horse’s lifetime.

Project chairman Geoff Codd remains confident that, by the end of this year, Osmington’s white horse will once again appear just as it did when first it was created in 1808.

• COME and help St. Osmund by giving his church a fresh look for Spring. All and sundry are invited to come and help to tidy and clean up the interior of the church between 9.30am and 12.00 on Saturday, March 26. Even if you can only spare half an hour, every little helps. It also makes for a pleasant social gathering, and cups of tea will be on hand to refresh the workers.

• OSMINGTON will be having a fun day of activities and festivities at the village hall and green to celebrate the Royal wedding on April 26. Activities currently planned include a supply of bucks fizz to toast the couple, fancy hat competition, big screen showing of the wedding, bouncy castle, football/basket ball competitions, magician and live music by local artists. Lunch will be a “street party” affair. Look out for more details – villagers will be contacted soon to get an idea of the numbers who will attend.