Britain's largest hill figure has been stripped of his unwelcome modesty during one of the biggest makeovers of all.
The Cerne Abbas Giant has regained his presence on the Dorset landscape after time, weather conditions and the changing face of farming had seen him disappear.
At 180 feet in height, he had been slowly covered by lichen, algae and self-seeded weeds flourishing in the recent wet summers. Combined with the natural course of time between rechalkings and a shortage of sheep to provide suitable grazing, the giant had been hiding his light under a growing bushel.
© NTPL
To help, conservation volunteers, regular visitors and National Trust staff joined children and villagers from Cerne Abbas to restore the giant’s bright contrast with his surroundings.
Back to top
Rob Rhodes, the National Trust's Head Warden for West Dorset said:
'Every seven or so years we replace the thin top slice of chalk, but every twenty years we remove a much deeper layer. That is what’s happening this time around, and why it’s so exciting that we’re able to invite people who know and love the giant to take part.'
The slope which forms the backdrop to the giant is too steep for traditional mowing. As well as being the safest way to keep the grass short, grazing provides a natural way of encouraging the wildflowers which are found on this Site of Special Scientific Interest.
'Cattle would eat the grass but not the flowers and would be almost ideal except for the fact they’re simply too heavy and could cause too much damage to this important archaeological site,' says Rob.
'Sheep are obviously far lighter, but they don’t discriminate in what they eat. So we usually put them in for a few weeks in spring and again in autumn. That way the grass is shorn for the season, while allowing the wild herbs and flowers to bloom.'
Back to top
The rechalking process
With support from National Trust wardens, volunteers – including children from Cerne Abbas and Sydling St Nicholas – removed a depth of 10cm of the existing chalk. Fresh chalk was then crumbled into its place, watered-in to form a paste and firmed down to create a solid layer.
© Apex / Mark Passmore
The chalk that was removed wasn’t wasted. It was recycled to fill pot holes in nearby roads and paths.
The giant’s changing face in history
The origin of the giant is unknown and still hotly debated.
Some believe he resembles an ancient god and is over 1500 years old. Others take him to be a 17th-century cartoon of Oliver Cromwell!
Candidates for the ancient deity include the Saxon god Heil, the Iron Age god Cernunnus and most popularly the Roman god Hercules who is usually shown naked with a club in his right hand and a lion skin draped over his other arm.
While the giant has no pelt, scientific tests have suggested there may once have been a lion skin, which has been allowed to grass over.
The more modern school of thought suggests the giant is a caricature of Oliver Cromwell. Their argument centres on the fact that no reference is made to the giant in a wealth of medieval documents surviving from Cerne Abbey. He is first recorded in the Cerne Abbas church wardens’ accounts of 1694.
Old drawings and photographs also show that his shape has changed over time. The mound which forms his nose, for example, disappeared for a while and now his belly button has become a part of his man-hood!
|
