Wayland's Smithy and Uffington Horse

The Uffington White Horse is Britain's oldest chalk hillside figure.  It is a short walk up hill from the car park, but we combined it with a walk to Wayland's Smithy for this 3.3 mile walk.  The walk itself includes part of the Ridgeway National Trail and can be found on the Walking Britain Website.

The first leg of the walk took us along Ridgeway.  The sun decided to join us today and made for the kind of weather you'd hope for at this time of year.

The wind rippled through long grass (wheat, barley?) in all the surrounding fields which created the illusion of long soft fur.  Even the hills were rippling like green sea.

Making a start along Ridgeway

I'd made the mistake of promising my six year old that there might be an ice cream for him if we get back to the car park while the ice cream van was still there.  So, for him, it became a very long journey of constantly asking the time and if he could go back to the car park now please! 

The path to Wayland Smithy was a short straight stroll along the chalk path. 

After several junctions and changes in weather we reached our first goal...

Wayland Smithy - iron age long barrow

The boys had a great time investigating the burial chambers

DS2 even found this replica leather pouch

Stones along the length of the barrow

Three of us at the entrance to Wayland Smithy

Following the return journey along the Ridgeway we climbed the hill path, which was, of course, very chalky.  Luckily it we weren't visiting in heavy rain, or I think the fun with splashing in chalk puddles would have been too hard to resist.

We were all quite excited when DS3 Spotted a lizard on a style (we're easily pleased!), but it was too quick for me and I'm afraid I didn't get a picture.

The earthworks of the old hill fort - Uffington Castle.

Walking down from the castle it isn't immediately obvious where the horse is, but it was signposted and in the end was hard to miss.

The horse is quite an abstract figure and upclose it's very hard to make out.  In the background you can just make out Dragon Hill - small flat-topped hill.

From the top of the steep hill, looking back towards the chalk horse.

The clouds finally started to break on our way back down the hill.

Even close to the "viewing point" it is hard to make out the horse on the top (left) of the hill.  Apparently, the best place to see it is from the air!

The ice cream van was still in the car park so the boys enjoyed an ice cream before our long drive home.