Still standing tall - chalking up a new chapter for the Cerne Abbas Giant - National Trust

Re-chalking of the Cerne Abbas Giant - Britain’s largest and most iconic chalk hill figure – is now underway. The re-chalking happens once every decade, but this time it marks not just the renewal of the Giant himself, but the beginning of a bold new chapter for the historic Dorset landscape on which he lies.

At 180 feet tall, the Cerne Abbas Giant dominates the chalk hillside above Cerne Abbas, where his outline is now being carefully restored using around 17 tonnes of fresh chalk by National Trust staff, volunteers - and members of the public whose donations recently helped secure the future of the surrounding landscape.

It also follows just a few months after an extraordinary nationwide fundraising appeal enabled the National Trust to purchase significant areas of land around the Giant, protecting the wider landscape for nature, archaeology and public access. The appeal, backed by Sir Stephen Fry, reached its £330,000 target in just 60 days, with donations flooding in from across the UK and as far afield as Australia, Japan and Iceland.

Together with major gifts, grants and legacies, this public generosity has helped secure more than 130 hectares of land around the Giant - uniting species‑rich chalk grassland, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and important archaeological landscape. Home to rare wildlife including the endangered Duke of Burgundy butterfly, the newly protected land offers a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity to create a connected mosaic of habitats, restoring nature and improving access, while working closely with the local community.