Princess to visit White Horse

The Princess Royal is due to unveil the newly restored Osmington White Horse near Weymouth in Dorset. The landmark is one of several white horses hewn into the south's landscape.

According to 'The Osmington White Horse Restoration Project' the horse was created in 1808 as a tribute to King George the Third who had a seaside home in Weymouth.

A project to the return the horse to its former glory started in 2009. The actual work began in July 2010. Volunteers and charity organisations have laboured hard to complete the work before the 2012 Olympics, when the landmark will be visible to people visiting Weymouth and Portland for the sailing events.

Funding for the project came from fundraising and a grant from Natural England. The challenge was also completed using research and technical expertise from Ordnance Survey and English Heritage.

Geoff Codd, the Chairman of the Osmington White Horse Restoration Group said:

"We are really pleased to have achieved so much and are grateful for the support and involvement of so many groups and individuals from the local community and further afield. We are delighted that Princess Anne has been able to finally come to see this monument to her great, great, great, great Grandfather, and recognise the efforts that everyone has put in, during this Jubilee year and ahead of the Sailing Olympics when the monument will be seen around the world."