Cerne Abbas chalk giant turns into the invisible man

The 180ft chalk giant is disappearing into the hillside because the National Trust has been unable to borrow the sheep that usually keep it in shape during the spring and summer.



In previous years the chalk figure, thought to be a fertility symbol, has been an imposing presence on the Dorset hillside. But this year a wet start to the summer has brought a vigorous growth in vegetation and the trust has been hampered by the decline in sheep farming. The land is too steep for it to be mown safely.



Rodney Legg, chairman of the Open Spaces Society, said: “Visitors turning up have been disappointed because they can't really see it. This year the giant has gone from being a white icon, through a green man stage, into the invisible man.”