Enigmatic and Strikingly Explicit
Take a turn off the quiet country road linking Sherborne and Dorchester and park up in the isolated, and free, car park. Take a stroll past the ancient Kettle Bridge (very old) and walk along the bank of the Cerne River (very beautiful) and you will soon find yourself in the centre of the village.
Cerne Abbas, located in the picturesque county of Dorset, used to be a small market town in years gone by but is probably best thought of as a village steeped in history and enchantment. Its most famous landmark, the Cerne Abbas Giant, is an enigmatic hillside figure etched into the chalky earth, standing at an impressive 180 feet tall. This iconic symbol has intrigued visitors for centuries, with its oversized proportions and strikingly explicit features.
Surrounded by rolling hills and lush countryside, Cerne Abbas exudes charm, with its quaint thatched cottages, idyllic gardens, charming tearooms and pubs.
Yes, for such a small place it still has a lot of pubs.
In fact, a few years back and with a population of barely 1,500 people, it boasted 14 public houses.
We walked around the village. We found St Augustine’s Well. We admired Piddle Lane and Back Lane and Duck Street. We even tried out one of the remaining pubs.
But it was when we started exploring the fields behind the church that we found the real magic of the place. A large swing hanging from one of the trees behind the church yard grabbed our child-like attention for a while. A stroll across further fields and then a steady, uphill climb gave us wonderful views across the rolling Dorset hills. We found ourselves up on the ridge, a gale blowing a sea of moody, grey clouds only just above our heads, or so it felt.
And as we yomped across meadows of wildflowers and passed trees bent sideways from the prevailing winds, we found ourselves on top of the giant. Standing on his head, no, higher, much higher, up there with the sheep and the winds and the wildly exhilarating Dorset air.
Bigger than the giant. Looking down, way down, over the fence that kept him and his phallic presence safe from irresponsible day trippers.
Made it Ma. Top of the world, top of the world.
It’s a good place to explore, this Cerne Abbas, but you have to put in the effort. Otherwise its just tea rooms and pubs.
And who wants that?
