Hackpen White Horse

The Hackpen White Horse is a crisp chalk hill figure cut into the steep western scarp of the Marlborough Downs above Broad Hinton, best appreciated from the air where its shape and the sweeping downland come together. A quiet lane and a byway run along the ridge top with roadside parking near the clump of beech trees, giving convenient, legal ground to set up on the highway verge rather than the surrounding private farmland, where you should seek the farmer's permission before launching. There is no Flight Restriction Zone over these downs, so the airspace is open class G, with only gliders from nearby sites and occasional light aircraft to watch for on clear days. The scarp is high and open, so wind can be brisk and the ridge lift that attracts paragliders also means gusty, rotor-prone air on the lee side. This is arable and grazing country, so keep clear of livestock and crops, and avoid the spring nesting season for ground-nesting birds like skylarks and lapwings. Come at sunrise or golden hour when low sun rakes across the downs and picks out the horse and the field patterns below.