Readers here will certainly be familiar with the Cerne Giant. What I had not appreciated from casual reading is the depth to which the chalk is embedded in the hillside. Makes sense, of course, explaining how the figure came to be buried by natural growth and why it lay "hidden" for so long. Details re the history here.
Photos in a Guardian article show volunteers "rechalking" the figure.
The custom has been to rechalk the 55-metre-tall giant roughly every seven to 10 years. It was last done in 2019 and before that in 2008... The rechalking technique is being adapted. In 2008 and 2017, it involved packing in dry chalk and tamping it down. “But that’s very difficult because the hill is so steep,” Dawson said.So this time they are experimenting with mixing chalk (they need 17 tonnes of it) with water to create a paste. Dawson said: “It’s like a putty, which makes it easier to make it stick.”
I'm impressed by the quality of the preservation work being undertaken.
O.K - here's the photo, for those unfamiliar with it. Now go to the links and read. And please nobody tell Donald Trump about this; a ballroom/bunker is bad enough.
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