Bulford Kiwi

{{Short description|Chalk carving in Wiltshire, England}} {{coord|51|11|38.84|N|1|42|54.20|W|type:landmark_region:GB-WIL|display=title}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

thumb|right|The Kiwi in August 2025

The '''Bulford Kiwi''' is a large depiction of a kiwi, carved into the chalk on Beacon Hill above the military town of Bulford on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. It was created in 1919 by soldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who were awaiting repatriation following the end of the First World War.

It is one of the few hill figures in Wiltshire that is neither a white horse nor a military badge.

==History==

thumb|right|Kiwi from postcard, {{circa|1919}}

Sling Camp (now gone), part of Bulford Camp, was established in June 1916 for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF). Soldiers of the NZEF underwent training there after arriving in England before being transferred to New Zealand units serving on the Western Front. The Kiwi was constructed on Beacon Hill overlooking the camp.

After the war was over, the New Zealand soldiers were eager to return home, but no troop ships were available. Following riots among frustrated soldiers, their commanding officers decided to keep the troops occupied by carving an enormous kiwi into the chalk hillside. This was carried out in February and March 1919 by the Canterbury<ref name="NHLE" /> and Otago<ref>[http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/WILTSHIRE-EMI/2001-01/0979549654 RootsWeb: WILTSHIRE-EMI-L 3 RSA review The KIWI Bulford/Sling Camp]</ref> Engineers Battalions. The emblem is cut into the chalk hillside and stands out in contrast to the surrounding vegetation.

The design was executed by Sergeant-Major Percy Cecil Blenkarne, a drawing instructor on the Education Staff, based on a sketch of a stuffed kiwi specimen in the British Museum.<ref name="NHLE" /> The site was surveyed and the design laid out by Sergeant-Major V.T. Low, NZE, also of the Education Staff.{{Citation needed|date=June 2017}}

==Size==

* The Kiwi's body covers {{convert|1.5|acre|m2}}. * From the Kiwi's feet to the top of its back is {{convert|420|ft|m}}. * The width is about {{convert|460|ft|m}}. * The beak is {{convert|150|ft|m}} long. * The letters "N.Z." are {{convert|65|ft|m}} high.<ref>{{cite book|author=Kate Bergamar|title=Discovering Hill Figures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v-XWAAAAMAAJ|year=1997|publisher=Shire|isbn=978-0-7478-0345-4|pages=65–66}}</ref>

==After the war==

thumb|right|The Kiwi before it was cleaned in 2007

thumb|right|The Bulford Kiwi in August 2013

In the years following the Kiwi's creation, the Kiwi Polish Company maintained the figure through its London offices, employing local villagers to carry out the work. Although the company stated that it had "little if any advertising value", it regarded the figure as a memorial to the New Zealand troops.<ref>[http://www.armymuseum.co.nz/museum-news/acquisitions.html Recent Acquisitions: Army Museum Waiouru, New Zealand] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608234033/http://www.armymuseum.co.nz/museum-news/acquisitions.html|date=June 8, 2007}}</ref>

During the Second World War, the Kiwi was camouflaged with leaf mould because of concerns that German bombers could use it as a navigation marker during The Blitz. In 1948, the leaf mould was removed by local Boy Scouts,<ref>[http://www.wiltshirescouts.org.uk/1stBulford/Kiwi%20History.htm The History of the Kiwi] – 1st Bulford Scouts: {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927012142/http://www.wiltshirescouts.org.uk/1stBulford/Kiwi%20History.htm |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref> and fresh chalk was added. The Scout troop subsequently renamed itself in honour of the kiwi.

In the early 1950s, Blenkarne arranged for the Kiwi to be maintained by the British Army's 3 (UK) Divisional Headquarters and Signal Regiment, continuing the work previously carried out by 249 Signal Squadron. 3 DHQ&SR formed part of the 3rd Infantry Division.

In 1986, a pillar with a commemorative plaque was unveiled by Bryce Harland, the New Zealand High Commissioner.<ref name="NHLE" />

Since 2007, the Kiwi has been maintained by the UK Ministry of Defence.<ref>[http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EstateAndEnvironment/BulfordKiwiGetsAFacelift.htm Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Bulford Kiwi gets a facelift] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710221105/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EstateAndEnvironment/BulfordKiwiGetsAFacelift.htm |date=July 10, 2007 }}</ref> In 2017, the chalk figure was designated as a scheduled monument.<ref name="NHLE">{{National Heritage List for England|num=1443438|desc=Kiwi Chalk Figure above Bulford Camp|access-date=16 June 2017}}</ref>

thumb|right|RAF Chinook helicopter delivering chalk in March 2026

On 30 June 2018, the Kiwi was resurfaced. One hundred tons of chalk were ferried to the site by Chinook helicopter, where, under the guidance of Defence Infrastructure Organisation archaeologist Richard Osgood, the chalk was spread over the figure to restore it for the first time in 30 years.<ref>{{Citation | last = Griffin | first = Katy | title = Bulford Kiwi given new chalk coat to celebrate 99th birthday | newspaper = Salisbury Journal | date = 2 July 2018 | url = http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/16327100.bulford-kiwi-given-new-chalk-coat-to-celebrate-99th-birthday/ | access-date = 7 July 2018}}</ref>

Resurfacing was carried out again in 2023 using 100 tonnes of chalk,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Caroline |date=2023-09-30 |title=100 tonnes of chalk used to restore kiwi carved into UK hill |language=en |work=Stuff |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/133037876/100-tonnes-of-chalk-used-to-restore-kiwi-carved-into-uk-hill |access-date=2023-09-30}}</ref> with a further 25 tonnes used in 2026, when work was undertaken by a team that included members of Operation Nightingale.<ref>{{cite web |title=Well-loved Wiltshire Kiwi gets makeover |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/well-loved-wiltshire-kiwi-gets-makeover |website=GOV.UK |access-date=3 April 2026 |language=en}}</ref>

thumb|right|Restoration work underway in 2026, with the gate in the foreground

==Viewing and access==

[[File:Bulford Kiwi in OpenStreetMap.png|thumb|right|Plan view, as rendered in OpenStreetMap]]

Views of the Kiwi are largely obscured because the direct view is from within the military camp. The Kiwi can be seen from Tidworth Road, which passes the hillside at an angle, and it is possible to walk up to the figure from there.

North of Tidworth Road at {{coord|51.2044|-1.7345}} is a viewpoint with an information panel. This is signposted from the road via a short stretch of byway.<ref>[https://talltales.me/2012/07/15/the-bulford-chalk-kiwi/ The Bulford Chalk Kiwi]{{Dead link|date=April 2026}}</ref><ref>[https://ngatapuwae.govt.nz/sling-camp Sling Camp – Ngā Tapuwae]</ref>

Distant and distorted views of the Kiwi from the opposite side of the hill can also be seen from Woodhenge and from near Stonehenge.

==Nearby==

There have been several military hill figures in Wiltshire, and the Bulford Kiwi is the only surviving example that does not depict a military badge.

Approximately 20 miles from the Bulford Kiwi are the Fovant Badges, a group of eight military badges, together with two additional badges, carved mainly by military camps during the First World War. More badges once existed on the hillside, and two recently restored examples are located nearby at Sutton Mandeville. An outline of Australia is located nearby at Compton Chamberlayne.

Another nearby military badge is the Lamb Down Military Badge near Codford St. Mary.

==See also==

* List of hill figures in Wiltshire

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading == * {{cite book|author=Colleen Brown|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hj8EtgEACAAJ|title=The Bulford Kiwi: The Kiwi We Left Behind|publisher=David Bateman Limited|year=2018|isbn=978-1-86953-984-9}}

==External links== {{commons category}} *[https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=102136723902988507101.000001122d12edc847712&ll=51.194248,-1.716238&spn=0.001748,0.006781&t=h&z=18&om=1 Google Maps image of the Kiwi]

Category:Hill figures in England Category:New Zealand art Category:Military history of Wiltshire Category:New Zealand in World War I Category:Geography of Wiltshire Category:Monuments and memorials in Wiltshire Category:1919 works Kiwi Category:Tourist attractions in Wiltshire Category:Scheduled monuments in Wiltshire