Cerne Abbas is a village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southern England. It lies in the Dorset Council administrative area in the Cerne Valley in the Dorset Downs. The village lies just east of the A352 road 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Dorchester. Dorset County Council estimate that the population of the civil parish in 2013 was 820. In the 2011 census the population of the civil parish, combined with the small neighbouring parish of Up Cerne, was 784.
The village centre
Abbey Farm House
The pitchmarket doorway
Parish church of St Mary
The Cerne Abbas Giant is a hill figure near the village of Cerne Abbas, in Dorset, England. It is currently owned by the National Trust, and listed as a scheduled monument of England. Measuring 55 metres (180 ft) in length, the hill figure depicts a bald, nude male with a prominent erection, holding his left hand out to the side and wielding a large club in his right hand. Like many other hill figures, the Cerne Giant is formed by shallow trenches cut into the turf and backfilled with chalk rubble.
Cerne Abbas Giant chalk figure below the rectangular "Trendle" earthworks
1764, first known drawing from the Gentleman's Magazine with measurements, including the height of 180 feet (55 m)
1842 drawing by the antiquary and editor John Sydenham
1892 drawing by the author and antiquarian William Plenderleath