Dorset's famous Cerne Abbas Giant – Britain's largest and most iconic chalk figure – is getting a makeover.The landmark, which measures 180 feet (55 metres) tall, has dominated the Cerne Abbas hillside for at least 700 years.Experts have now begun the arduous process of re–chalking the imposing figure, which is historically associated with fertility due to its exaggerated anatomy.His outline is being carefully restored using around 17 tonnes of fresh chalk by National Trust staff, volunteers and members of the public.The steep chalk hillside – sloping at around 33 per cent – is vulnerable to erosion, meaning the chalk must be packed tightly by hand to keep water out and prevent weeds from taking hold.Given the Giant's enormous size, the highly–skilled process will take around two weeks of intensive labour.'Re‑chalking the Giant relies on techniques that haven't changed for generations – carefully digging out older material and packing in fresh chalk by hand on a very steep slope,' Luke Dawson, Lead Ranger for the National Trust at West Dorset & Cranborne Chase, said.'It's how we've kept him visible for centuries.' The landmark, which measures 180 feet (55 metres) tall, has dominated the Cerne Abbas hillside for at least 700 years The Cerne Abbas Giant's origins long puzzled historians, sparking theories ranging from a Roman Hercules to a satirical depiction of Oliver Cromwell