C  h  e  r  h  i  l  l    O  b  e  l  i  s  k





Cherhill obelisk is built on an iron age hill fort called Oldbury Castle, and with a height of 120 foot, can be seen for miles around against the skyline as you drive along the A4. This is a mammoth example of an obelisk, the base itself probably using more stone in its construction than many others do in their entirety.
What makes it all the more impressive is that as you sit on one of the terraces that form the base, you realise what an awesome task it must have been to haul the stone up to this spot.







Marquis of Lansdowne
It was built like Maud Heath`s column, by the Marquis of Lansdowne, in this instance it was to commemorate one of the marquis` ancestors, Sir William Petty 1627-1684. The designer was Sir Charles Barry who saw his design come to fruition in 1845.
The sheer size of the structure can be gauged by the man sitting on one of the terraces with his dog.
The National Trust now own the hill, and they recently carried out restoration work on the obelisk.

I am told (though have not confirmed) the situation in 2003 is that the obelisk is now in need of repair again, and the surrounding area is now fenced off for safety.


White Horse
Not far away and to the east of the obelisk you have the Cherhill white horse, this was cut in 1780 by Dr Christopher Alsop and for once actually resembles a horse!

The reason for its lifelike appearance was that when it was cut, Dr Alsop had the outline marked out by flags on poles. The arranging of these flags was supervised from the adjacent 'Labour in Vain' hill, with Dr Alsop giving directions through a megaphone.

It measures 160 foot by 220 foot, and the 'eye' of the horse consists of a small circular construction of stones cemented together. When I climbed the hill I took the path that wound around the horse`s head, and found the 'eye' a convenient seat to rest on. Originally the 'eye' had consisted of a collection of glass bottles buried in the ground.


Visiting:-
Access is best obtained from the A4, where there is a lay-by to park in. The walk up to the top of the hill is not for the faint-hearted, although the view obtained is your reward should you proceed.

Co-Ords: 404780 169300 / SU 047693  

Bookmark this Page    

Reproduction of part or all of the contents of any of these pages is prohibited except to the extent permitted below.
These pages may be downloaded onto a hard disk or printed for your personal use without alterations. Any other use needs consent of the web site owner Mr C Curtis :- see Contact Page. These pages may not be included in any other work or publication, or be distributed or copied for any commercial purpose except as stated above.