Watch the moment workers abseil off the famous White Horse of Kilburn landmark as it is restored to its former glory. The footage shows specialist painters abseiling down the sheer face whilst painting the iconic landmark using 2,000 litres of paint. The chalk painting, which is 314ft long and 228ft high, has not had a new lick of paint since 2018. Rejuvenating the landmark, which is in in Kilburn, North Yorks,. will cost over £20, 000 and take around four days. The horse was first marked out by local schoolmaster John Hodgson and his pupils in 1857 before being cut into the limestone of the North York Moors National Park by 31 men. Volunteers of the Kilburn White Horse Association previously took on the task until health and safety concerns meant they had to stop. Forestry England have now taken on responsibility for maintaining the horse and last week began rejuvenating it. The horse has only received weeding and brash management work since 2018, and the nearby paths and fences are also maintained. A regular works programme will be in place going forward once the paint job is complete. Forestry England’s head of recreation and public affairs Ed Woollard said: “Due to the steep nature of the feature, access to the surface needs to be by rope and anchor. "This requires relevant professional training and certification, which is why Forestry England have not used volunteers to date for weeding and painting. “The horse was last painted by the Kilburn White Horse Association. "After recent weeding, we now have the weather conditions to have contractors on site and the Kilburn White Horse is receiving a fresh coat of white paint over the next week, at a cost of over £20,000. “The Kilburn White Horse is a landmark which symbolises Forestry England’s relationship with the history of the land we manage. "The Kilburn White Horse Association maintained the horse over many years, and we will continue their good work to safeguard this landscape feature. "With key groundwork delivered over the last few years and the White Horse once more glistening under its coat of new white paint we can look forward to a regular programme of maintenance and whilst safety regulations limit volunteer involvement directly, we look forward to establishing new opportunities with the community in the near future.” The North York Moors National Park Authority’s director of recreation and wellbeing Michael Graham said: “The Kilburn White Horse is among the most iconic sights in Yorkshire and one of the many reasons people come to the North York Moors and Sutton Bank National Park Centre. “We know the work that Forestry England puts into maintaining the area, the weeding and repairs, but there’s nothing like a new coat of paint to get it looking its absolute best for all those who see and cherish it.” ENDS