CERNE ABBAS GIANT

Britain, places to visit, attractions, heritage
Find places to visit in Britain by name, location, type of attraction, or other keyword.

This listings directory of over 950 entries is being phased out.
It now excludes places and things of interest in North East England.
These can be found in ABAB’s Places.

Tap/Click ‘find listings’ for a detailed search – or just have a browse. 

Cerne Abbas Giant

The Cerne Abbas Giant is one of Britain’s best known hill figures, cut into the hillside near the pretty Dorset village of Cerne Abbas. It is formed of a cut trench about 1 foot deep and across, stands 180 feet (55 metres) high and depicts a nude male wielding a large club. Possibly its most noticeable feature is its prominent erection – so the figure is often associated with fertility. Some people think the giant represents a Celtic deity, or Hercules. In fact, the age of the Cerne Abbas Giant had long been uncertain, but following hi-tech analysis of sediment, it was announced in 2021 that he dates from the late Saxon period - possibly 10th century.  There is a viewing area a short distance from Cerne Abbas village and there are walks nearby.

It is hard to photograph the Giant. The image here is from Google Earth.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Cerne Abbas
County
Dorset
Post Code
DT2 7AL
Main Historic Period
Prehistory
Link to featured article
Tip/Nearby
Dorchester
Primary Management
National Trust

If your favourite attraction is not listed yet, and you have a good quality digital photograph of it that you are able to freely send, please get in touch

Scroll to Top