White Horse monument restoration 'needs volunteers'

Peter Sharpe is helping to launch a 'Friends of the Pewsey White Horse' group

Volunteers are needed to preserve the future of an iconic chalk structure.

Funding has been secured for restoration work at the Pewsey White Horse in Wiltshire, which is one of eight remaining white horses in the county.

The hillside figure, which dates back to 1937, is being renovated and a group is being established to ensure it does not degrade again.

Peter Sharpe, from Pewsey Parish Council, said: "We are a village which is absolutely vibrant and we need to maintain the incredible history around it, including the white horse. It's got into disrepair which is tragic."

Wiltshire's white horses are famous landmarks cut into the chalk hillside at various times between 1742 and the start of the 21st Century.

People are also being urged to share their memories of the structure

A Friends of Pewsey White Horse group will be set up to explore further ideas for the future of the monument, which measures 35 ft (10m) tall and 67 ft (20.4m) long.

"Phase one is to get it renovated," Mr Sharpe added.

"Phase two is to ensure it doesn't degrade from now on in. That's going to take a bunch of people who we are calling the Friends of the White Horse to come together and make sure it stays in the condition that we leave it after the renovation project."

Garry Gibbons, project lead on the Pewsey White Horse restoration project, said while the focus is to preserve the structure, he also wants people in the community to look to the past.

"The project is aiming to engage the community with the horse," he added. "We particularly want to collect people's memories and form an oral history collection."

A condition survey will soon be launched to identify any risks associated with restoration work.

Future plans could include re-chalking, which sees a human chain formed to pass chalk between volunteers who "top up" the white horse so it can be more visible from a distance.