Cerne Abbas

Founded c.1300, St Mary's is the parish church of Cerne Abbas built for the parishioners by the monks of Cerne Abbey. The chancel is the oldest part of the church dating from the C14. Original murals painted on the walls on either side of the altar (now badly faded) also date from this time.

The earlier route from Dorchester to Sherborne, meeting the roughly parallel A352 at Middlemarsh; often less busy than its neighbour, and enjoying good views down into the neighbouring valleys.

The Cerne Abbas giant aka the Rude Man or the Rude Giant, is a hill figure of a giant naked man on a hillside near the village of Cerne Abbas, to the north of Dorchester, in Dorset, England. The 55 m high, 51 m wide figure is carved into the side of a steep hill, and is best viewed from the opposite side of the valley or from the air. The carving is formed by a trench 30 cm wide, and about the same depth, which has been cut through grass and earth into the underlying chalk. In his right hand the giant holds a knobbled club 37 m in length. A 1996 study found that some features of the image have changed over time; notably, the study concluded that the figure originally held a cloak in its left arm and stood over a disembodied head. The figure's origin and age is unknown.

The Cerne Abbas giant aka the Rude Man or the Rude Giant, is a hill figure of a giant naked man on a hillside near the village of Cerne Abbas, to the north of Dorchester, in Dorset, England. The 55 m high, 51 m wide figure is carved into the side of a steep hill, and is best viewed from the opposite side of the valley or from the air. The carving is formed by a trench 30 cm wide, and about the same depth, which has been cut through grass and earth into the underlying chalk. In his right hand the giant holds a knobbled club 37 m in length. A 1996 study found that some features of the image have changed over time; notably, the study concluded that the figure originally held a cloak in its left arm and stood over a disembodied head. The figure's origin and age is unknown.

This dam is built across the valley just upstream of the village . At the far end is a sluice gate which can be closed preventing flood waters coming down into the village. The waters are allowed to build up behind the dam and form a lake in the meadows on the left, and the waters are then slowly released. In the background can be seen the Cerne Abbas Giant. the cars on the right are in the Village hall Car park.

This shows the dam in the background and the sluice gate and spillway which are used to control the stream in times of flood.