If you’re driving through the Dorset countryside, you might just come across a 36-foot erect penis on the side of a hill.
Despite earlier claims that the Cerne Giant was from the Saxon period, this particularly well endowed chap is actually believed to be from around 1700 (evidencing that men have been exaggerating for at least 300 years).
This 180ft chalk hill figure (making him the largest one in Britain) can be found just outside Cerne Abbas, and the best place to see him in all his naked glory is from a lay-by just outside the village.
His history isn’t clear, and there are plenty of theories about his origin, but most people agree it has something to do with fertility. How couldn’t it when it includes a giant knob.
Regardless of how he came to be, the giant has been a source of hilarity on many occasions in recent years – from being adorned in jeans or a giant latex condom for advertising stunts, to growing a grass moustache or having his penis painted purple for charity and activism events, and most recently images appeared of him wearing a surgical mask as part of COVID-19.
The giant was given to the National Trust in 1920, and the chalk is replaced every 10 years or so by NT volunteers.
Sadly I wasn’t able to get a good photo of him, so to see him in all his naked glory, do have a google.
Verdict: One of few naked men in the countryside evading arrest.
Sidenote: On the way back down, a certain black Labrador and I found a beautifully clear river, which he promptly lay down in.
A Year of Trust 