Image: National Trust Org
The appeal launched in early December 2025 with backing from Sir Stephen Fry, and donations of every size arrived straight away, from £1 up to £32,000, according to National Trust.
Sian Wilkinson, the Trust’s head of public fundraising, said in the announcement that every gift made the purchase possible. She said the Trust can now start creating a nature haven around the Giant, and that the appeal shows bold things can be done when people come together. Hannah Jefferson, the Trust’s general manager for West Dorset and Cranborne Chase, said in the announcement that appeal donations, major donors, legacies, local businesses and grants all combined to make this once-in-a-lifetime purchase possible.
Fry described the chance to protect such a large area of biodiverse countryside around the Giant as very rare. The Trust now intends to create a patchwork of habitats that helps species adapt and thrive.
A 2021 analysis found the Giant was probably first carved in the early medieval period, between the years 770 and 1100.
Jefferson said the Trust will first get to know the site, talk to the community about its aspirations and local knowledge, and apply for further grants. Archaeologist Steve Timms said the acquisition allows research on a landscape scale, which will guide how the land is managed and help answer questions about settlement and ritual activity over several thousand years. Work has begun to recruit a local area ranger, who will lead Trust staff, contractors and volunteers. The team also plans to work with organisations including Butterfly Conservation. The purchase also opens the way for archaeological research.