The Legend of Dragon Hill
Back to St Georges Day
At Uffington in Berkshire there is a hillfort dating from 700 bc. Close by is an ancient burial mound known as Weyland's Smithy. On the side of Uffington hill a massive white horse where the turf has been cut away to reveal the gleaming chalk beneath has stood for centuries and perhaps millennia, guarding this sacred spot.
Curiouser still is neighbouring Dragon hill. It is so regular in shape that many people believe it to be man-made, despite the insistence of scientists that it is a natural feature. The top is flat and here is the spooky thing. Although the sides are rich and green, the grass never grows on the top of Dragon Hill. The reason say the locals is that the top was poisoned by dragons blood when St George slew the beast on this very hill. Never will grass grow where Dragon's blood has been spilled.
The village of Uffington can be found on the Ridgeway path, at the edge of the Vale of the White Horse and just to the north of the rolling Berkshire Downs.