Fovant Badges, Wiltshire

The Fovant Badges form part of the most complete group of chalk-cut hill figures in England. They are a highly visible record of the period in local history when, during World War I, this area of Wiltshire was home to a vast military encampment straddling the villages of Fovant, Compton Chamberlayne and Sutton Mandeville. The regiments came from across Britain and from the countries of what was then the British Empire. Perhaps to take their minds off their imminent transfer to the Western Front, the soldiers carved great monuments (some are nearly 200 ft across) through the downland turf into the steep hillside. These cuttings were backfilled with chalk, forming clearly defined figures in the tradition of Wiltshire's famous white horses.


The Lost Chalk Hill-Figures of Britain