What to do in oxfordshire: Uffington White Horse and White Horse Hill

Now living in Oxfordshire we’re keen to discover all the county has to offer, first up was a trip to the Uffington White Horse, a prehistoric hill figure formed from deep trenches filled with crushed white chalk.

Since moving to Oxfordshire we have loved exploring its vast rolling hills and pretty quaint villages, safe to say this land-locked county has well and truly stolen our hearts. Oxfordshire is extremely well located, it’s situated within the basin of the Upper River Thames, the Cotswolds sits to the west and the Chilterns to the southeast, it’s also so easily accessible to London with Reading and Oxford being the nearest large towns.

We are now based in Wallingford and what to do in Oxfordshire is our main Google entry! We plan to explore ALL of what’s on offer in our new home, so over the next year our aim is to check out everything; from riverside pubs and Thame’s Path walks to boutique hotels and National Trust wonders, we’re so excited to get to know our new home.

What is the Uffington White Horse

Back in the summer one of the first places we ventured to in Oxfordshire was the Uffington White Horse which sits on White Horse Hill. We had never even heard of this National Trust spot but after a good old bit of Googling we discovered it offered fantastic views and a nice walk. Google wasn’t wrong, White Horse Hill looks over 6 counties and on a clear day - which we were lucky enough to have - the views are mesmerising.

Uffington White Horse is a 110m-long prehistoric hill figure shaped like a horse, it’s made from deep chalk trenches that are now maintained and protected by the National Trust. This iconic white horse is the oldest chalk-cut hill figure in Britain, estimated by the Oxford Archeological Unit at around 3000 years old!

Sitting below Uffington White Horse is Dragon Hill, legend has it this is where the Saint George slayed the dragon but there are many other locations mentioned so it’s just a mystic message passed down rather than a solid fact. The name would make sense if it were 100% true though!

There is also Uffington Castle which sits at the summit of Whitehorse Hill, is a rare example of an large Iron Age hillfort. It’s not a fully intact castle per se but you’ll see a grass-covered ditches and banks that would have formed the fort - large iron hillforts are very rare so this is noted as an outstanding example!

Where is the Uffington White Horse

The Uffington White Horse is in Faringdon SN7 7QJ and sits around 1.5 miles south of Uffington village in Oxfordshire.

The easiest way to access the walk up to White Horse Hill is by car, there is a National Trust carpark at the bottom which is £4 for all day parking, or free if you’re a member. We pay £10 a month for our membership and have already made that back tenfold in carpark charges - it’s well worth paying for.

You can get there by train but the nearest station is Swindon which is12 miles away or, you have Didcot train station which is15 miles and Oxford train station which is further at 21 miles away. It could always make a cool day trip if you’re spending time in Oxford!

How to spend an afternoon at Uffington White Horse

We arrived mid-afternoon and the weather was glorious, we had some snacks and as the sun was shining we decided to pit-stop on the bench right by the carpark to eat and take in the view. As you walk up the hill towards the chalk figure the view just keeps getting better but it’s always nice when you can take in the beauty as soon as you get to the destination!

During the summer was when we visited and the sunset really popped the sky, it’s worth going in the afternoon and taking a picnic to enjoy at the top. We sat lots of people doing that and it looked like a lovely way to enjoy a warm evening - you can’t beat watching the sunset. Although in autumn, we can only imagine how golden the view is so definitely a spot we’ll re-visit for more photography opportunities.

So if you’re looking to explore more of Oxfordshire then a leisurely stroll and picnic at White Horse Hill is well worth the visit. The views are beautiful and the legendary stories that surround the location are magical, just remember leave no trace and stay back from the chalk trenches. History this awesome needs to be protected!