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Cantiaci Hillfigures - introduction
Hillfigures, a mostly English phenomenon, are indelibly associated with Wessex, thanks to theplethora 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 historiclandmarks, 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 brandnew Horse at Folkestone. The area cannot boast of anything so old and mysterious as theUffington Horse, but it can be proud of its Long Man, its hillfigure war memorials and its uniqueWye 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 wellas 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 aMillenium project. Designed by the artist Charles Newington, the Horse galloped into troublefrom the start.The hillside upon which it stands is a Site of Special Scientifc Interest, so English Natureobjected to the idea immediately. Even the EU vetoed the construction. However, theGovernment firmly stated that no laws were being broken and so, after a few years of legalwrangling, construction finally began in 2003.The Horse was built by Gurkas stationed in the area. Trenches were dug, and slabs of chalk andlimestone 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, andwas proposed by Mr C Groom, headmaster of the village school. Completed in 1922, it stands189ft 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 theservices - 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 aMillenium project. Designed by the artist Charles Newington, the Horse galloped into troublefrom the start.The hillside upon which it stands is a Site of Special Scientifc Interest, so English Natureobjected to the idea immediately. Even the EU vetoed the construction. However, theGovernment firmly stated that no laws were being broken and so, after a few years of legalwrangling, construction finally began in 2003.The Horse was built by Gurkas stationed in the area. Trenches were dug, and slabs of chalk andlimestone 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 25metres long. He can be viewed from several points along the road heading south fromWilmington, 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 1838to commemorate Victoria's coronation ( local legend claims it was completed in a single day), ithad overgrown and vanished completely by 1920.Another legend claims that the horse is a memorial to a girl who was killed when the horse shewas riding threw her after bolting down the hill. The present Horse was cut in 1924 by a Mr JohnAde, whose grandfather helped with the cutting of the original Horse. He was assisted by twofriends and, for unknown reasons, constructed it in moonlight.
 
Cantiaci Hillfigures Shoreham Cross
When I went down to Shorehamsome time another year  I found a cross for sorrowand pain for men to bear  for lads I knew aforetimewere sleeping otherwhere' 'A Kentish Lad', George A Vallins
Like its companion at Lenham, the Shoreham Cross was erected as a war memorial. The land onwhich it stands, towering over the village, was donated to the parish on a 999 year lease by theRt Hon FB Mildmay MP in 1920. It wascreated by volunteers the same year and unveiled on Empire Day. The Cross stands 100ft highand 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 whitepropeller decorates a field to commemorate the Battle of Britain, the outline of a small aeroplaneat Dover commemorates the first cross-channel flight. However, these are set on flat groundrather than slopes and, while visible from the air, do not make very good landmarks for those onterra firma. A lost figure, the Buffs Badge at Canterbury, was carved into the bullet bank at theend of a firing range in 1922. A 55ft dragon, it was unfortunately allowed to grass over when theregiment 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 ahillfigure that is not only the undisputed lord of all the Cantiaci figures, but is also one of themost famous in the country.The Long Man can best be viewed from the entrance to the Priory car park at Wilmington. Itstands 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 firstdocumented mention is in a manuscript of 1779 which shows him with facial feastures andholding farming implements. Various theories have been put forward regarding who he
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