insideKENT Magazine Issue 87 - June 2019 | Page 141

OUTDOORART
A R T I N THE GREAT OUTDOORS CONT.
The Folkestone White Horse
The giant, iconic, Folkestone White Horse was
completed in 2003, but it seems as though it has
been around for much longer as it has become
such an important part of the landscape.
The horse is carved into Cheriton Hill and was
designed by local artist Charlie Newington to
mark the millennium. The idea behind it was to
set off the regeneration of Folkestone, and now,
16 years later, that regeneration is well underway.
In order to ensure that the 90-metre-long figure
(which is based on the Uffington White Horse in
Oxfordshire) looked perfect on completion, the
workers were directed from a distance using a
Walkie Talkie. Each trench or line is between 30
and 60 cm (12 to 24 inches) wide, and once cut
out they were filled with limestone slabs to protect
the integrity of the horse itself.
Folkestone Artworks
Folkestone Artworks is the UK’s largest outdoor art exhibition and – to make it even more exciting – it is
completely free and open 365 days a year. Different pieces can be found all around the town and in the harbour
area, and you might even discover some that you never knew were there.
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