A partnership approach to protecting one of Dorset’s most wildlife-rich landscapes is helping turn the ambitions of 30x30 into action, securing more than 25 hectares of land around the iconic Cerne Abbas Giant for generations to come.
After land around Giant Hill including a significant area of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) came onto the open market, Dorset National Landscape joined forces with the National Trust and other conservation partners to protect this exceptional area.
The National Trust successfully secured a £236,000 grant from the Dorset National Landscape specifically towards the purchase of 25.07 hectares of land, safeguarding both its natural and cultural heritage. More than simply acquiring a single parcel of land, the project demonstrates how collaborative action can help deliver the ambitions of 30x30 by creating bigger, better and more connected places for nature. By extending and linking existing ecological networks, the acquisition contributes to a resilient mosaic of biodiverse habitats that will support wildlife, landscapes and people long into the future.
The Duke of Burgundy butterfly (C) Martin Warren
Giant Hill forms part of a wider ecological ‘gold tier’ network and provides a vital stepping stone and link between adjoining chalk grassland. Defra, in its ‘30by30 on land: Delivery plan’ describes ‘gold tier’ areas as those that ‘fully meet the 30by30 criteria, forming the backbone of a high-quality, well protected and resilient nature network’ (Defra, 2026).
This nature-rich landscape is home to a variety of wildlife, including Duke of Burgundy, marsh fritillary and Adonis blue butterflies, which rely on the cowslip, devil’s-bit scabious and bird’s-foot trefoil which grow on the chalk slopes. Skylark, yellowhammer, ravens, and red kites are also regularly seen across the site.
The land purchased with the grant provided by Dorset National Landscape buffers the existing SSSI from harmful operations, extending natural habitats and enabling greater connectivity for nature across this stunning landscape whilst providing downstream benefits for the nearby River Cerne chalk stream.
The Cerne Giant is one of Dorset's most beloved landscape features, etched into the steep chalk slopes above Cerne Abbas and highly visible across the valley. Beyond its cultural and historical significance, the surrounding grassland contributes to the ecological coherence of the landscape, supporting the continuity of open chalk downland habitats that are increasingly fragmented elsewhere. The combination of natural heritage and cultural heritage makes Giant Hill a particularly significant landmark within the Dorset National Landscape.
The mystery of the giant also inspired artists who collaborated combining music, poetry, and ritual for Nature Calling to create the giant artwork ‘Consequences’ with local community groups (Radical Ritual with Becca Gill: Consequences).
This initiative is the first land acquisition the Dorset National Landscape Partnership has supported. This experience has ensured that the governance and legal requirements demanded by the process have been worked through and resolved, placing the Partnership in a position to support other National Landscapes with similar projects going forward, a recognition of the amazing support the network of National Landscapes can provide to one another in pursuit of ensuring a future underpinned by beautiful landscapes where people and nature thrive together.
Following the land entering the open market, local NGOs worked in partnership with one another to establish who was best positioned to lead the land purchase, with National Trust selected due to their pre-existing ownership of land on Giant Hill.
A capital grant of £236,000 from the Dorset National Landscape is helping to ensure that irreplaceable, iconic, rich habitats are expanded and managed, long-term, for nature.
This grant contribution was specifically put towards 25.07 hectares of land adjacent to the Giant Hill SSSI, home of the famous Cerne Abbas Giant. This land forms part of a broader acquisition 136.54 hectares of beautiful chalk downland and nutrient-depleted arable fields spearheaded by the National Trust.
Consequences artwork from Nature Calling
Delivering a ‘Gold’ standard contribution to 30by30:
Giant Hill forms part of a wider ecological network and provides a vital stepping stone and link between adjoining chalk grassland sites. This land acquisition not only signifies the commitment of the Dorset National Landscape to delivering on 30by30 in isolation – it represents a clear commitment to delivering 30by30 in a way that creates joined-up mosaics of biodiverse, wildlife-rich, and nature-resilient landscapes through connecting existing ecological networks.
Occupying a strategically important position within the wider chalk downland landscape of west Dorset, this project strengthens the resilience and biodiversity of the Cerne & Sydling Downs Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in which it lies – a nationally and international important network of species-rich grasslands designated for its exceptional chalk grassland communities and marsh fritillary butterfly populations.
Recognising the value this project adds to the resilience and health of the landscape in which it sits, Ali Quinney, Nature Recovery Officer at Dorset National Landscape said: "We’re delighted to have supported the acquisition of this land, helping to restore the Giant’s rightful wild setting while extending and buffering important habitats.’
