Wet weather turns Cerne Abbas chalk giant into the invisible man

But the famous Cerne Abbas giant appears to be fading from view as his modesty - and everything else besides - is covered by grass.

The damp spring has led to the ancient chalk figure being swamped by fast growing vegetation.

And thanks to a decline in sheep farming in the surrounding area, the flock that traditionally graze on the site have been unavailable to provide the giant figure with its annual trim.

Barely visible: The cool damp spring has found an unlikely victim in Dorset's Cerne Abbas giant

Traditionally the National Trust introduces local animals to the area near the Dorset village of Cerne Abbas during the spring and summer months to keep the grass down.

Environmentalists are now calling on the National Trust to find replacement sheep for the hillside or have it cut back by human hands.

Rodney Legg, chairman of the Open Spaces Society, said: 'Visitors turning up have been disappointed because they can't really see it.

Landmark: How the Cerne Abbas giant normally looks

'We have had a very wet start to the summer and the grass and weeds have grown vigorously.

'This year the giant has gone from being a white icon, through a green man stage, into the invisible man.

'We need more sheep on the site or it needs the village to take him into their care by trimming the grass, weeding the trenches and whitewashing them.'

It is unclear exactly when the 180ft club-wielding giant was scratched into the hillside at Cerne Abbas, near Dorchester, but the first documented mention was in 1694.

Iconic: Cerne Abbas has been viewed as a fertility symbol

Its original purpose is also unclear but traditionally it has been viewed as a fertility symbol.

The problem of the disappearing giant was triggered after the area endured double the average rainfall for the month of May.

A spokeswoman for the Met Office said this spring had been 'considerably wet', with 3.7ins of rain falling in May compared to the average of less than 2ins.

Helen Mann, the National Trust's west Dorset property manager, explained that the giant's hillside position make it too precarious to mow.

She said: 'We are aware the giant is not at his best right now.

'Being on such a steep incline, he's not in a position where we can safely mow or strim.

'In the past we have relied on sheep to keep him shawn but haven't been able to borrow any since last September for one reason or another.

'We are, however, expecting to have him re-chalked this September, which we hope will help him stand out once more.'

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CHALKY

• The giant is formed by a 1ft-wide trench carved through grass and earth into the chalk
• The first mention of Chalky is in 1694, and legend has it a real giant was killed on the hill and the outline of his body drawn by locals
• Historically, childless couples would dance around the figure treating it as a fertility symbol
• In the Second World War, the giant was covered in brushwood to stop Luftwaffe pilots using it to navigate
• It has been used to advertise condoms, jeans and bicycles.