The Cerne Abbas Giant or 'Rude Man' - a chalk figure carved in the hillside above Cerne Abbas in Dorset, England, UK
Image details
Contributor:
Christopher Nicholson / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
C1T6NRFile size:
53.9 MB (3.1 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
5315 x 3543 px | 45 x 30 cm | 17.7 x 11.8 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
June 2010Location:
Cerne Abbas Dorset England UKMore information:
Cerne Abbas is a quaint village located on the River Cerne in Dorset around 7 miles from Dorchester. It is a beautiful but small village that is perhaps not well known in itself, but is world renowned for the ancient figure named the Cerne Abbas Giant or perhaps more descriptively known as the Rude Giant that overshadows the village from the chalk hillside above. The village of Cerne Abbas, described in 2008 as being "strikingly beautiful", has less than 800 permanent residents but attracts large numbers of visitors that come to see the hamlet and the surrounding countryside each year. Just over 1000 years ago the Benedictine’s built an abbey which quickly became surrounded by a small hamlet that grew into the village as it is today. For five centuries the abbey was a dominant force in the area until Henry VIII dissolved all of the England's monasteries in the 16th century. The abbey was destroyed with the only remaining sections still standing being the Abbot’s Porch and to a lesser extent the Abbey Guesthouse. Despite the loss of the socially important abbey the village managed to not just survive but prosper. It has an extremely clean water supply filtered by the chalk in the surrounding hills that proved to be perfect for brewing quality beers which became famous throughout the south of England. It is a place of such perfection that people rarely leave. Quality schools, low crime rate, quaint pubs and beautiful countryside are a recipe for the good life. In February 2008 Cerne Abbas won recognition of its assets when it was named the "most desirable village in Britain."