| Where: | Uffington, Berks -Show at field off Fawler Road and formerly Scouring at the White Horse hill figure (met in carpark) |
| When: | Bank Holiday Sunday & Monday for Show, Formerly August Bank Holiday weekend for Scouring |
| Time: | Show 10-5, Scouring formerly 10am-4pm |
Uffington White Horse is an ancient and enigmatic chalk hill figure on the downland of Berkshire. Now in the guardianship of the National Trust, it has dominated the landscape for centuries. In earlier times it used to be “Scoured” every seven years amidst great festivities – hill figures need regular maintenance if they’re to stay white and pristine into the future. While the old custom has disappeared over time, a new one has arisen in its place and each year in July and on August Bank Holiday weekend volunteers made a contribution to posterity by helping to keep the horse clean and in good order. This involves beating new fresh chalk into the surface and I have it on good authority that this is hard work but worthwhile! Currently the Scouring is on hold for the public as professional restoration is in progress.
Meanwhile, the fair that used to take place has also evolved. The current White Horse Show has developed from fundraising for the Village Hall and it is a totally separate event but happens to take place at the same time and very nearby to the figure. It’s a traditional country show aimed at all ages and there are many entertainments, crafts and competitions over both days including Morris dancing, Punch and Judy and sheep dog trials.
Helpful Hints
In 2027 August Bank Holiday Sunday & Monday fall on 29th & 30th August and the Show is on both days. Future Scouring public event details are yet to be announced..
When it’s on, volunteers for the Scouring should book in advance via the National Trust website but in practice all are welcome even if they turn up unannounced on the day. Scourers work in half-hour slots. This event is subject to weather conditions – in previous years there were 2 weekends for chalking the horse, in May and August, but from 2016 it moved to July/August for more clement weather. In 2025/26 there was no scouring as professional work had been ongoing on the hill figure but it’s expected to resume at some point in future- check with National Trust.
Click here for the National Trust website: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/white-horse-hill/
Click here for the Show website: http://www.whitehorseshow.co.uk/
Click here for more on the history of the event: http://traditionalcustomsandceremonies.wordpress.com/?s=scouring
Thanks to Paula Gerrard for drawing my attention to these events and for providing the photos!
Which day is the Scouring?
We will be coming from Wallingford.
Hi Colin- you must have missed the bit about there being no obvious plans for 2026 and to check with the National Trust- I’ve looked at their site again now and there are no signs of Scouring being a current activity, so it mustn’t be happening this year at all. I’ve tweaked the post on my site to make this more obvious, as it’s now 3 years in a row that it hasn’t been on offer as a public event, and I’ll amend it again when they resume the activity but obviously I don’t know when that’s likely to be. Sorry to be the bearer of disappointing news- the White Horse Show should still be on over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Best wishes,
Averil