Tan Hill, Wiltshire facts for kids
Tan Hill is a hill found north of Allington in the area of All Cannings, Wiltshire, England.
Its top is 294 meters (about 965 feet) above sea level. This makes it the second highest point in the North Wessex Downs area. The nearby Milk Hill is just a tiny bit taller at 295 meters. Tan Hill is also the third highest point between the cities of Bristol and London. In 2009, a TV show called Countryfile checked which hill was higher. They confirmed that Milk Hill is 26 centimeters (about 10 inches) taller than Tan Hill.
Along the north side of Tan Hill, you can see a part of The Wansdyke. This is an ancient earth wall that stretches from east to west across a large part of southern England.
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The Mystery of the White Horse
For a long time, Tan Hill was home to a giant picture of a white horse on its hillside. Some people even called it the Tan Hill Donkey because its head looked quite big!
What Was the Tan Hill Donkey?
In 1975, a writer named Kathleen Wiltshire wrote about the horse in her book Wiltshire Folklore. She said parts of the horse were still visible on Tan Hill. Its legs, however, had become covered by plants. This horse or donkey was about 23 meters (75 feet) long from its nose to its tail. Its tail stretched down, much like the famous Uffington White Horse.
The Stone Circle Near the Horse
Kathleen Wiltshire also wrote about a small stone circle nearby. It was in the "valley" between Tan Hill and Rybury Camp. This circle had nine upright sarsen stones, each about 1.2 meters (four feet) tall. In the middle of the circle lay a flat stone, about the length of a person. A path used to lead from this stone circle up to the "donkey."
Finding the Horse Again
By 1964, the white horse was described as "overgrown," and its legs had vanished. In 2002, local researchers looked into the horse's existence. They found the real location of the stone circle, which had been described a bit confusingly in Wiltshire's book. Archaeologists had seen the stone circle in 1973. They thought it was just rocks moved by farmers, not an ancient site. The path to the horse from the circle was still there in 2002. But there was no sign of the horse itself. However, in November 2004, with the right plants and light, the horse's shape could be seen again!
The Legend of the Thirsty Horse
Local stories tell a fun tale about the horse. It was said that when the church clock in All Cannings struck midnight, the horse would go to a dewpond to drink. A dewpond is a special pond that collects water from dew and is said never to dry up. One night, the horse was supposedly so thirsty that it drank the pond completely dry!
Amazing Views from Tan Hill
The views from Tan Hill are truly amazing! On a clear day, you can see very far. You might spot places like Cheesefoot Head near Winchester to the southeast. If the weather is super clear, you might even see the Black Mountains in Wales to the northwest! This makes Tan Hill, along with Milk Hill, one of the furthest points in the UK where you can see high mountains.
You can also clearly see Salisbury Plain, which is a large open area. Further away, you might spot the Mendips and the Cotswolds. Computer models even suggest that on very clear days, it might be possible to see Pen y Fan. This is the highest point of the Brecon Beacons mountain range.
