THE Cerne Abbas Giant has been named as one of the country’s top 10 roadside attractions.

The TripAdvisor website produced the list, featuring sculptures, castles and a mountain summit, to mark the 50th anniversary of Britain’s first motorway on December 5, 1958.

The 180ft giant, carved into chalk bedrock on a hill overlooking the A352, was ranked at number 10, hot on the heels of the Cherhill White Horse, which sits alongside the A4 in Wiltshire. Stonehenge topped the list.

The provenance of the ‘Rude Man’, situated eight miles north of Dorchester, is the subject of much debate.

There is no historical record of the giant before 1694 but many different explanations for him exist, ranging from a 1,500-year-old representation of Hercules to a caricature of Oliver Cromwell.

The giant is also revered as a fertility symbol.

It is now registered as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in the care of the National Trust, and visitors are no longer allowed to walk upon it in order to prevent erosion.

In July, 2008, as a publicity stunt for the release of The Simpsons Movie, a giant ‘Homer’ was painted to the left of the giant, angering neo-paganists.

In August, 2007, a section of the giant was painted purple, purportedly by a member of Fathers for Justice, but this was never proved.

The top 10, in ascending order, are: Stonehenge, Angel of the North, Loch Ness, Ben Nevis, Clifton Suspension Bridge, Harlech Castle, Wembley Stadium, Tintern Abbey, Cherhill White Horse and Cerne Abbas Giant.

The list was compiled using the TripAdvisor Popularity Index, which logs traveller satisfaction.