A MUCH-LOVED North Yorkshire landmark has had a fresh coat of paint.
The White Horse at Kilburn near Thirsk is on land managed by Forestry England who took over responsibility for the its maintenance in 2018.
Since then, it has had annual weeding and a tidy up, but this month it's got a sharp new look.
It's been spray-painted by qualified contractors as part of a program of maintenance to maintain the integrity of the landmark.
The Horse was created in 1857 and constructed by a local schoolteacher and his students.
For many years it was managed by the Kilburn White Horse Association until Forestry England took over responsibility in 2018.
After weeding, Forestry England had contractors on site and the Horse received a fresh coat of white paint over four days, at a cost of more than £20,000.
Ed Woollard, at Forestry England – Yorkshire District, said: “The Kilburn White Horse is a landmark which symbolises Forestry England’s relationship with the history of the land we manage.
"The Kilburn White Horse Association maintained the Horse over many years, and we will continue their good work to safeguard this landscape feature.
"With key groundwork delivered over the last few years and the White Horse once more glistening under its coat of new white paint we can look forward to a regular programme of maintenance.
"Whilst safety regulations limit volunteer involvement directly on the Horse, we look forward to establishing new opportunities with the community in the near future.”
Evening drone flight to view the newly painted White Horse of Kilburn, North Yorkshire plus a view across the Vale of York. pic.twitter.com/g0BIeNqPrH
— Peter L (@truly55) August 19, 2022
While the work was being carried out the car park and footpaths had to close for a short while, but both the Kilburn White Horse car park and footpath that leads from the car park towards Sutton Bank are now open again.
Michael Graham, of the North York Moors National Park Authority said: “The Kilburn White Horse is among the most iconic sights in Yorkshire and one of the many reasons people come to the North York Moors and Sutton Bank National Park Centre.
"We know the work that Forestry England puts into maintaining the area, the weeding and repairs, but there’s nothing like a new coat of paint to get it looking its absolute best for all those who see and cherish it.
“The National Park Authority continues to work in partnership with Forestry England to provide opportunities for people to get out into nature and boost their mental and physical wellbeing.
"Visiting areas such as the Kilburn White Horse is a brilliant and low-cost way to do just that, and we greatly look forward to seeing it fully restored and refreshed.”
The paint used to re-spray the horse was supplied by local firm, Thirsk Decorating Centre, who provided around 2,000 litres to the contractor.
The family business is now run by Jamie Etherington who is the third generation at the helm.
He is the driving force behind the firm's success in achieving carbon neutral status by embracing green energy such as solar panels and replacing solvent-based products with water-based alternatives.
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