Mysteries, myths and mystical places the county of Wiltshire is full of them. The white horse is one of the most evocative and Wiltshire is the place to see these chalk hill carvings. At one time there were 13 here, although now only eight are visible to the naked eye.

Why white horses? Well they were revered in ancient times: if you didn't have a good horse going into battle it was unlikely you would win. One of the best known, Westbury White Horse, is said to have been carved to commemorate King Alfred the Great's victory over the Danes at the battle of Ethandune (today the nearby village of Edington) in 878. But many of their origins remain a mystery.

A 90-mile walking route connects the eight white horses. Walkers travel via ancient trackways and through some of Wiltshire's most unspoilt landscapes.

Many of the white horses are in the Wiltshire district called Kennet, close to Avebury. Strangely, the stone formation is within five miles radius of five of the white horses.

Wiltshire is also one of the most active areas in the world for crop circles and during a recent study it was found that around half of these occurred within a 12-mile radius of Avebury. It's certainly a place of atmosphere.

The white horses can also be visited by car, which may suit more people. Most can be seen from the road, which also passes straight through the stone formations at Avebury and close-by Stonehenge.

Many of the white horses are not as old as they look. The Westbury White Horse is on a very steep hill and overlooks a panoramic view. The original horse was probably Saxon in appearance but in 1778, a George Gee (G Gee!) re-cut a design nearer to its modern day appearance. He felt the older version was not a sufficiently good representation of a horse. It was again 'restored' in 1873 and, sadly, in the late fifties it was concreted over to reduce maintenance. There is a car park with a viewing point on the B3098, just east of Westbury.

Cherhill White Horse, off the A4 Calne to Marlborough road just east of the village of Cherhill, is the second oldest of the Wiltshire horses. It was cut in 1780 following the directions of Dr Christopher Alsop, known as the mad doctor. He is said to have called out the marking of the horse from a distance through a megaphone and his design may have been influenced by his famous artist friend George Stubbs. The horse's eye was once filled with upturned bottles that would sparkle in the sunlight.

Other horses include those at Alton Barnes, Pewsey, Marlborough, Broad Town, Hackpen and the new millennium horse in Devizes.

There are several other chalk carvings in the area. The regimental badges at Fovant were cut by military forces during their stay there. A panda has also appeared on the Wiltshire hillside. It is a mystery as to who cut the design, although some say it was students from the University of Wales, Bangor, whose logo is a panda!

A copy of Wiltshire's White Horse Trail, printed on waterproof paper, is available from local tourist information centres, priced at £6.

For free information on walking and cycling in Wiltshire call the hotline number (01980) 623255, 9am-5pm. For horse riding centres call (01225) 712315.