The Tattooed Hills by John Woolcott

The Tattooed Hills is a wonderfully told journey into Britain’s chalk figures; the giants, horses, mysterious marks and symbols (even the occasional panda) that have been carved into our hillsides – and into our culture – at various points throughout history. 

Jon Woolcott seamlessly blends travel writing, folklore, art, history and a deep love of landscape to investigate not just who made these figures, but why they continue to hold such power over us.

For Dorset readers, there are chapters on our very own chalk figures and, even if you think you are familiar with the Cerne Abbas Giant and the Osmington White Horse, this book reminds us how odd, vulnerable and wonderful they are. As with all the figures featured here, they have survived because people keep caring for them; clearing, rechalking, arguing over them, retelling their stories and passing on their magic.

Woolcott is especially good at placing the figures somewhere between the ordinary and the enchanted; made by human hands, yet somehow belonging to the land itself. Amidst all of the history and the legend, there is also real humanity, as he tells the stories of the people who continue to care for these larger-than-life creations.

Written with much wit and warmth, this is a beautifully readable book for anyone who loves landscape, folklore, and history.

Richard