The Village That Lives Under Club And Knob
So today I'm going to take you wonderful Hive folk around the monument at Cerne Abbas. It's a quiet little village that is beyond beautiful that sits near the Somerset and Dorset border. One would think that its amazing nearby brewery, quiet streets, beautiful houses, or charming pubs would be the reason people would want to visit this wonderful location. But it's not. Carved into the beautiful chalk hills overlooking the village is a 55 metre figure thats origins are still unknown.
Don't care how confident you are... certain things can make you feel a little like you may not add up..... and I don't care how brave you are ladies... if you're elbowing your husband asking why can't he be like this stone giant.... you gotts problems. All poking fun aside (pun intended) the odd thing about this particular monument is that we have no clue as to why it's etched into this hill in the middle of the Dorset countryside. Some say it's Georgian, some Victorian, Roman, pre-Roman, Celtic fertility symbol, etc etc.
The odd thing is is that we have references from the 18th and 19th century stating that a figure was indeed carved here. There's deep carved evidence into the chalk around it of an iron age hill fortification of some description and to an extent that makes sense given the water way that has always ran (in one form or another) at the foot of the location. The whole area is surrounded by springs. If you drive in from the turn off on the A37 you will have to actually drive through one of the small creeks that are fed by one of the many small spring in the area.
It's a bit of a walk up to actually see the monument up close. Once you get to the top it's not really visible as it is from far away. But the views are worth it. You do get an idea as to how unique the location of Cerne Abbas actually is. The drive in from the A37 is extremely impressive, but once you're standing on top of the hill you understand why this may have been a look out point in ages past.
Oddly once you have hit the top point of the hill and came back down there's not much to see. If you're in the area it's certainly worth a visit. I would have gone into the village but people are a bit skiddish and... Strange I guess? The whole covid thing has folks spooked I guess. However the drive around the surrounding countryside is worth the trip alone. I've lived all over the UK, and having locations like this in striking range in a couple hours is a real treat.
In fact it's a bit beyond that.. I get asked all the time if I'm over on holiday. I grew up from a young age in the states (Florida) as one side of my family is American. So on one side I have traditional Black Heath South London family, the other Deep South American (most of my country men think I'm from Texas...oddly). I speak as I speak, and pay little mind to it but get asked often once I explain that I'm British as well as American as to why I choose to live here... Places like this are why.
I've travelled extensively in my life and still Britain is my home. It's where I was born and where I'll pass. Despite the horrible people you often find in rough places... it's still a beautiful place. I'm firmly reminded of this every time I venture into her hills, and I'm grateful for that beauty. If ever you find your sat nav taking you down the A37 between destinations and you see the sign to Cerne Abbas then turn off. Pull off in a lay by on the top of one of the many hills and look out. It's a breath taking region. You don't even need to go to the monument. The entire area has voice of it's own, and you'll hear it the moment you step out of your car and look out.
As a closing note, and something for the beer lovers who are reading this post... Try the beer from the Cerne Abbas brewery. I bought some from a farm shop while I was there and it's a stonking good ale. They do a variety of brews and all hold their own as far better than the big boys.
Well guys that's it for now. I have taken the time since lock down eased and bounced around the Southwest to gather photos for the Team UK tag/community. @livinguktaiwan switched me onto that idea in my last post. So I've used collecting photos and details of travels of places off the beaten path as an excuse to drive out and gather stuff to share with all you wonderful folk on Hive. Still haven't gotten around to figuring out pinmapple yet, but it's on my to do list this week.
There will be more to come and far better/more off beaten path than this post. If you made it this far then thank you for reading. Looking forward to supporting all you guys awesome posts and projects.
Image credits: My ipad, and Cerne Abbas Brewery
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