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Title: Westbury White Horse given pressure wash by abseilers Post by: Chris from Nailsea on April 17, 2016, 17:09:58 A notable landmark, visible from trains: that's my justification for posting this. ;)
From the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-36066414): Quote Westbury White Horse given pressure wash by abseilers A 175ft (53m) hill figure of a white horse discoloured by algae and lichen is being scrubbed by a team of volunteer abseilers. The Westbury White Horse in Wiltshire, described as a "bit of a grey mare" is being restored in time for the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations. Up to 20 volunteers have spent the weekend power cleaning the horse, which is carved into a very steep slope. The English Heritage monument was steam cleaned in 2012. The cleaning project was organised by the Westbury Rotary Club. Once clean, the hillfigure is due to be given a new coat of white paint. Under the supervision of an expert climber, two volunteers at a time are lowered down the face of the horse to blast dirt and algae off its surface. (http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/9D5F/production/_89278204_89278203.jpg) Once scrubbed clean of dirt and algae, the hillfigure is due to be given a new coat of white paint Organiser Steve Carrington said weather conditions over the weekend had been ideal "to get the white horse white again". "The last thing we want is really bright sunlight because it's really hard on the eyes - it's a bit like snow blindness - so actually slightly overcast with a bit of wind is ideal," he said. "It was looking a bit like a grey mare and the town council was very keen the white horse was white, as it should be, in time for the Queen's Birthday." Westbury's horse is said to be the oldest in Wiltshire. It was restored in 1778, but many believe it is far older than that. It is thought to have been originally carved in 878 AD to commemorate King Alfred's victory over the Danes at the Battle of Ethandune. Title: Re: Westbury White Horse given pressure wash by abseilers Post by: grahame on April 17, 2016, 18:30:07 A notable landmark, visible from trains: that's my justification for posting this. ;) Thank you for posting that - and in "The whiter picture" too. I wondered as I went past it yesterday - it seemed to have a grey saddle / rug on. Work in progress! Title: Re: Westbury White Horse given pressure wash by abseilers Post by: Tim on April 18, 2016, 09:14:21 A notable landmark, visible from trains: that's my justification for posting this. ;) Thank you for posting that - and in "The whiter picture" too. I wondered as I went past it yesterday - it seemed to have a grey saddle / rug on. Work in progress! I thought it looked very bright yesterday (Sunday 2pm-ish), with no grey "rug". It must have been finished by then. Title: Re: Westbury White Horse given pressure wash by abseilers Post by: chrisr_75 on April 28, 2016, 12:11:24 A notable landmark, visible from trains: that's my justification for posting this. ;) Thank you for posting that - and in "The whiter picture" too. I wondered as I went past it yesterday - it seemed to have a grey saddle / rug on. Work in progress! If only they'd had a sense of humour about it - if it had been dirty enough they could've turned it into a zebra temporarily! A missed opportunity... ;D This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |