The Tattooed Hills: An illustrated talk with Jon Woolcott

The Tattooed Hills' A fascinating detective story told with humour and joy that unravels the threads of history and legend to reveal the strange stories of Britain's hill figures. ' Fiona Roberston, author of Stone LandsA journey through Britains chalklands, uncovering the stories, symbolism and shifting meanings of the mysterious figures carved into our hills.Across southern England and beyond, the land bears the marks of centuries white horses, giants, crosses, badges, even a lost panda cut into the chalk and exposed to the sky. In The Tattooed Hills , writer Jon Woolcott travels to these remarkable sites, exploring their history and the deep cultural roots that link landscape to identity.Part travelogue, part cultural history, Woolcott examines how these figures sometimes ancient, sometimes surprisingly recent reflect our collective imagination, and how their interpretations have changed over time. Once emblems of pride or remembrance, they have become mirrors of our shifting values and contradictions.From Iron Age hillforts to modern regimental carvings, The Tattooed Hills brings togetherarchaeology, folklore, art, literature and musicto reveal the evolving story of Britains chalk landscapes and the people who shaped them.Beautifully written and steeped in a sense of place, Woolcott visits many of England's Chalk figures, delving into their mysteries, including The Westbury White Horse, the Long Man of Wilmington, The Cerne Abbas Giant and the Uffington White Horse.A captivating exploration of landscape, culture and belonging, The Tattooed Hills reveals how the chalk beneath our feet connects us to our past and continues to shape who we are today.' Woolcott is the most splendid company on this intoxicating, immaculately researched tour of chalky weirdness. He has a keen ear for the murmuring voice of Deep England, and the wisdom to know that the more one knows about a place or a person, the more profound the mystery .' Charles Foster, author of The Edges of the World , Being Human and Being A Beast---
Jon Woolcott is a writer and publisher from Dorset. His writing has appeared in The Bookseller, Caught by The River, Slightly Foxed, Echtrai Journal, for the Venice Biennale, and he writes regular travel articles for The Guardian. He is the author of Real Dorset (Seren 2023). Hes the editor of Going to Ground (Little Toller, 2024), an anthology of writing about place and nature.Jon works for the independent publisher Little Toller Books and he edits the online journal for new writing about place, The Clearing.This event is brought to you byFOLDE Dorset [http://www.foldedorset.com]in partnership with theGrosvenor Arms [https://grosvenorarms.co.uk/].If you dine at the Grosvenor on the day of this talk, you'll receive 10% off your food bill on presentation of your ticket. We strongly recommend booking in advance.