Appeal launch to raise £300,000+ to help fund the purchase and care of land
An instantly recognisable precious corner of Dorset’s countryside is the focus of an appeal to raise money to help fund the purchase of 340 acres surrounding the famous Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset. The money will also help towards the care of the area.
The size of the site is equivalent to 190 football pitches and The National Trust aims to raise £330,000 to help. The good news is that more than £2 million has already been raised – thanks to generous grants and bequests.
The charity is calling on public support to help fund the purchase and care of the Giant’s lair, including Giant Hill, and the surrounding area for wildlife, heritage, and future generations.
‘This is an exciting and unique opportunity to give nature a huge boost in Dorset,’ says Hannah Jefferson, General Manager for West Dorset and Cranborne Chase.
‘The land we’re acquiring is extraordinary – it’s home to everything from our huge 55 metre Anglo-Saxon chalk figure to a small butterfly with a three centimetre wingspan.’
‘By protecting the area around the Giant, we can restore a fully functioning ecosystem that supports species under threat and allows wildlife to thrive across the site. This land is both ecologically and archaeologically significant.’
‘Research shows the Giant itself dates from the Early Medieval Period (770–1100 AD), while the surrounding landscape has been important to people for thousands of years, with evidence of human activity stretching back to 4300 BC.’
‘Since the National Trust began caring for the Giant in 1920, we’ve worked to protect its heritage and wildlife – and this appeal is the next step in that journey.’
View across the bottom of Giant Hill. Image: James Beck / National Trust Images
‘A very rare opportunity to protect’
The campaign was launched last week and is being supported by household names Sir Stephen Fry alongside National Trust Ambassador, Sean Fletcher.
‘This is a very rare opportunity to protect a huge swathe of beautiful and biodiverse countryside surround the Cerne Abbas Giant. Please join me in supporting this appeal,’ says Sir Stephen Fry.
Designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Giant Hill is already home to 36 butterfly species.
Among its residents is the small, endangered Duke of Burgundy butterfly, a species found in England only and now clinging on at just six stronghold sites in Dorset, with numbers dwindling across the rest of the country.
By joining up parcels of land around the Giant, it’s hoped there will be an opportunity to create more of the specialist habitat it needs to survive and thrive.
There are other rare chalk grassland butterflies in the area, such as the Marsh Fritillary and Adonis Blue – and even the extraordinary Hazel Glove Fungus, which is typically only found in temperate rainforests.
‘Following a long legacy of work with the current landowner to maintain the vitally important habitat at Cerne Abbas for rare butterflies, we will be delighted to see the Trust take this forward,’ explains Jenny Plackett, Butterfly Conservation’s South-West England Conservation Manager.
‘Securing the future for these vulnerable species at this site will be a great achievement for nature.’
The National Trust explains that helping to purchase the whole swathe of this land will enable the charity to restore and care for sections of chalk grassland.
It also means it’ll be able to plant new woodland and create a mosaic of habitats that support species under threat and help wildlife adapt to climate change.
Scheduled Monument ‘The Trendle’ on the top of Giant Hill. Image: James Beck / National Trust Images
‘We’re creating a stronger, joined up countryside’
‘If we’re serious about tackling climate change and helping wildlife adapt, we need landscapes that are bigger, better connected, and more resilient,’ says Michael Clarke, Area Ranger.
‘The Duke of Burgundy butterfly is a perfect example. It has very specific needs – thriving only in taller, moister grass and laying its eggs on certain plants.’
‘Its’ breeding conditions are so exacting that attempts can easily fail. That’s why it’s essential to give this butterfly space to expand into healthy, connected areas, reducing the risk of inbreeding and giving it a fighting chance to survive.’
‘By securing Giant Hill and the land surrounding it, we’re not just protecting one species – we’re creating a stronger, joined up countryside where many rare butterflies and other wildlife can flourish.’
As part of fundraising efforts, the charity has launched a Crowdfunder prize draw. Ten donors (plus one guest each) will win a money-can’t-buy experience to be part of the giant’s re-chalking event in 2026.
The first 500 entries into the prize draw will receive a limited edition ‘Cheeky Giant’ pin badge – an imagined rear view of the Giant – as a special thank you.
The Trust hopes to raise the funds by the end of January 2026. Any donations received after 30 January, or after the appeal has reached its target, will be used to support habitat creation.
Breaktime News has previously reported on butterfly experts recording the highest-ever numbers for silver-studded blue butterflies on the National Trust’s Studland heaths in Dorset.
