Stephen Fry-backed appeal helps 17 tonnes lift Cerne Giant
Stephen Fry backed the fundraising that helped bring workers back to the Cerne Giant this week, as volunteers and National Trust staff began rechalking the Dorset hill figure with a new chalk-and-water paste. The 55-metre-tall landmark is being treated differently this time because warmer, wetter conditions are dulling its outline and making the job harder on the steep slope.
Cerne Giant chalk work
The National Trust says the work needs 17 tonnes of chalk, and the giant is only rechalked every seven to 10 years. It was last done in 2019, after a previous rechalking in 2008, which is the kind of timeline that makes each visit a major maintenance exercise rather than routine touch-up work.
Luke Dawson, the National Trust lead ranger, said, "The giant is hundreds of years old but the modern world is certainly affecting him" while supervising the restoration. He also said, "It’s a beloved figure" and added, "Everyone in the village has a connection with the giant."
Luke Dawson on weather damage
Dawson said, "We’ve noticed algae growth starting to dull the giant's bright white outline. We can’t say for certain what’s driving that, but warmer, wetter conditions may be a factor. The milder winters and wetter summers make perfect growing conditions." He added, "We’re also seeing more intense rainfall, which can increase water runoff and gradually wear away the chalk, so we’re planning further monitoring to understand the impacts."
That weather pressure is changing how the job is done. Packing in dry chalk and tamping it down is difficult on the steep hill, so workers are mixing chalk with water to create a paste. Dawson said, "It’s like a putty, which makes it easier to make it stick." Morning and afternoon shifts had been used in previous years, but afternoon shifts are being cancelled because of the heat.
Stephen Fry and donors
Workers are being limited to 20 minutes an hour, with two gazebos used for shade and walnut and lemon cake offered instead of chocolate because of the melting risk. The National Trust bought significant areas of land around the giant earlier this year after a nationwide fundraising appeal reached its £330,000 target in 60 days, and some donors won the chance to help with the rechalking.
One of them is Debby van den Berg, a 51-year-old civil servant from Gouda in the Netherlands. After learning she would spend holiday time helping on the hill, she said, "But this is so special, so" The appeal’s success, and the tougher method now being used, point to a simple conclusion: the giant is still getting its upkeep, but the work around it is no longer being done on old climate assumptions.
