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A dedicated team of volunteers are refurbishing the Cerne Abbas Giant ahead of the 100th anniversary of the ancient chalk etching being acquired by the National Trust.

The Dorset landmark’s exact age is unknown.

Many believe him to be a Bronze Age construction left by Celtic occupants of the region but the earliest mention is of the figure in any historical record is a 4 November 1694 entry in the Churchwardens' Accounts from St Mary's Church in Cerne Abbas, which reads "for repairing ye Giant, 3 shillings.”

The repairs are still going on today. Natalie Holt, countryside manager for the National Trust, said "He needs redoing every 10 years or so because he does get discoloured and weathered and covered in weeds.

"When we're happy we've done a really good job of packing the chalk, we will leave him alone, and tamper with him as little as possible, to preserve him for another decade.”

Thanks to his prominently erect phallus, the giant has been the nicknamed 'The Rude Man from Cerne'.

Over the years, there have been many failed attempts to remove or at least 'censor' the explicit part.



In 1774 a local woodsman tried and failed, and a letter was sent to the Dorset Magazine, suggesting that the giant's genitalia might be covered with a piece of cloth.

There are innumerable legends surrounding the figure - it is believed by some that women who are afraid to lose their husbands or lovers should walk around him, hoping that he will help them to keep their men.



Another legend says brides-to-be should visit the giant one week before their wedding for good fortune.

Generations ago, villagers in Cerne Abbas believed that childless women would regain their fertility if they slept "within the confines" of the gigantic phallus, and young couples should make love on the giant to ensure conception.

Whether the iconic artwork is a Bronze Age fertility symbol or a 17th Century satire, the work the National Trust volunteers are doing ensures that the Cerne Abbas Giant will continue to delight visitors to the region for generations to come.