The National Trust has launched a fundraising appeal to secure £330,000 for the purchase and ongoing care of a 138-hectare site surrounding the Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset.
Covering an area roughly equivalent to 190 football pitches, this acquisition would allow the conservation charity to take full ownership of the landscape around Britain’s largest chalk figure, which it has managed since 1920.
More than £2 million has already been raised through grants and bequests, with the remaining funds being sought from public donations to complete the purchase.
The Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset.
The acquisition aims to ensure the long-term care of Giant Hill and its surrounding landscape, which contains several nationally significant monuments.
Hannah Jefferson, General Manager for West Dorset & Cranborne Chase, explained: “Research indicates the Giant dates back to the Early Medieval Period (770–1100 AD), while the surrounding area has been significant to humans for thousands of years, with activity traced as far back as 4300 BC.”
The site includes The Trendle, mysterious earthworks of unknown origin and purpose, as well as a Bronze Age burial mound and Iron Age settlement features, including house platforms.
Archaeologist Steve Timms said the acquisition “will allow us not only to manage the land appropriately, but also to explore the development of settlement and ritual activity across the area over several millennia.”
Jefferson added: “There is potential to create new walking routes, play spaces, and interpretive experiences that connect the monuments here, inspired by the unique character of the place. We want to collaborate with organizations and people who care about the Giant, beginning by understanding what the local community wants from the landscape.”
The appeal is supported by Sir Stephen Fry and National Trust Ambassador Sean Fletcher. A Crowdfunder prize draw offers ten donors and their guests the chance to take part in the Giant’s re-chalking event in 2026, with the first 500 entries receiving a limited-edition pin badge.
The fundraising campaign runs until the end of January 2026. Donations received after this date or after the target is met will go toward habitat creation, site enhancements, and improved access, developed in consultation with the local community.
