The Kilburn White Horse as seen from space.
One of Britain’s White Horse landmarks is in need of some grooming! The Kilburn White Horse, is no longer as white as it once was. Weather, algae and the passage of time has resulted in the colour fading and the site being given the nickname ‘the old grey mare’.
View of the horse from the visitor parking lot.
Many years ago, Thomas Taylor, a resident of the village of Kilburn got the idea for the white horse. There are other chalk figures in various parts of England and he wanted one for his village too.
The original design for the horse was drawn by artist Harrison Weir. A teacher and friend of Thomas’s, John Hodgson, added notes and measurements to the drawing. Hodgson and his students then went out into the field and marked out the horse. Maybe it was part of their math class!
How could Hodgson and his students take something as small as a drawing and then enlarge it to fit on the side of a hill? If you have any ideas on how they did it leave them in the comment box below. (In the research for this post I could not find a description of how they actually did it.)
Once the students had marked the outline of the horse, thirty-three men removed the topsoil, exposing the underlying rock beneath. Six tons (6.1 metric tonnes) of lime were used to whiten the exposed rock. The horse was finished in 1857. 
1. In what century was the Kilburn White Horse made?
2. How many pounds of lime were used to whiten the rock?
3. How many kilograms were used to whiten the rock?
The horse was originally designed at 314 ft long and 228 ft high. However, the dimensions have changed since then and the horse is now 318 ft long and 220 ft high.
4. If you were to walk all the way around the outside of the horse today, how far would you walk? Give your answer in yards rounded to the nearest ones.
The horse was badly damaged by a hail storm in 1896 and after the First World War the site became neglected.
5. How many years after the horse was first created did the hail storm hit?
Finally, in 1925, the White Horse was renewed following a newspaper campaign which is commemorated by a memorial in the nearby car park, stating that ‘the residue of £100 was invested to provide for the triennial grooming of the figure’.
Math Talk – triennial: recurring every three years.
The eye of the White Horse at Kilburn.
6. How many years after the hail storm was the White Horse renewed?
Today, the Kilburn White Horse Association uses white paint to brighten the horse’s coat. Their last attempt was four years ago but the job went unfinished due to heavy rains.
This year they are back at it again. Helen Harrison, vice chairman of the Kilburn White Horse Association, said the group tries to re-spray the horse every five years.
Ms Harrison said: “We have three people painting the horse, working their way down on a harness then being pulled back up. “It will take us most of two days and it is hard work but the views are spectacular.”
The White Horse at Kilburn, 1980.
7. Imagine you belong to the Kilburn White Horse Association and your job is to plan and schedule the next time the White Horse is painted. In what year will you schedule the next painting session?
You are also responsible for ordering enough paint for the entire job.
8. Do you need to know the area or perimeter of the White Horse to calculate the amount of paint you will need?
Before checking your answers, would you like to see more pictures and a short video of this year’s team of volunteers “grooming” the White Horse of Kilburn? Click here.
White Horse Landmark Needs A Grooming – Answers:
1. In what century was the Kilburn White Horse made?
Answer: The Kilburn White Horse was made in the 19th century.
2. How many pounds of lime were used to whiten the rock?
Answer:
Step 1: 2,000 pounds = 1 ton
Step 2: 6 x 2,000 = 12,000. Twelve thousand pounds of lime were used.
3. How many kilograms were used to whiten the rock?
Answer:
Step 1: 1,000 kilograms = 1 metric tonne.
Step 2: 6.1 x 1000 = 6100. Six thousand one hundred kilograms were used.
4. If you were to walk all the way around the outside of the horse, how far would you walk? Give your answer in yards rounded to the nearest ones.
Answer:
Step 1: 318 + 220 + 318 + 220 = 1076.
OR (2 x 318) + (2 x 220) = 636 + 440 = 1076.
Step 2: 1076 ÷ 3 = 358.666. You would walk 359 yards.
5. How many years after the horse was first created did the hail storm hit?
Answer: 1896 – 1857 = 39. The horse was damaged by the hail storm 39 years after it was first built.
6. How many years after the hail storm was the White Horse renewed?
Answer: 1925 – 1896 = 29. It was renewed 29 years after the hail storm.
7. Imagine you belong to the Kilburn White Horse Association and your job is to plan and schedule the next time the White Horse is painted. In what year will you schedule the next painting session?
Answer: 2014 + 5 = 2019. The next time the White Horse needs painting will be in 2019.
8. Do you need to know the area or perimeter of the White Horse to calculate the amount of paint you will need?
Answer: area
Photos:
Kilburn White Horse by Terry Madeley; CC BY 2.0
Kilburn White Horse as seen from the car park by Terry Madeley; CC BY 2.0
A plaque about the Kilburn White Horse by Ian S; CC BY-SA 2.0
The eye of the White Horse at Kilburn by Ken Crosby; CC BY-SA 2.0
White Horse at Kilburn by Ken Crosby; CC BY-SA 2.0
