A festival of countryside living is taking shape in the shadow of the Cerne Abbas Giant, with talks, treats and events ranging from wild medicine to crop figures.

The Cerne Giant Festival will be back for a second iteration this spring, extended to over a week from Saturday, April 21, until Tuesday, May 1. Top picks for this year’s festival - entitled Celebrating Humanity in the Landscape - include explorations of the bounty of the West Dorset countryside, a British citizenship pub quiz, a May Day sunrise Morris dance and a talk by illustrious journalist Kate Adie.

Organisers are expecting more than 800 visitors in total, up from last year’s 600.

Here we detail the highlights of each day of the festival; some ticket prices are still to be decided. The full itinerary will be released closer to the date.

  •  April 21: Wild Food? Wild Medicine!

Medical herbalist Eleanor Gallia leads a walk exploring the medicinal properties of the plants and herbs around the lakes of Nether Cerne. Nettle soup and organic herbal teas to follow. 10 am - noon. £5 and bring something to share for lunch.

  •  April 22: British Citizenship Test Pub Quiz.

A chance to see if you could pass the test given to applicants for British citizenship, at The Giant in Cerne Abbas from 6.30 pm. Team efforts but no multiple-choice answers! Cost of entry £1.

  •  April 24: Cerne’s Crop Figures.

A discussion of the mysterious crop figures that appeared last May near the Giant. Some thought it was a goddess, others thought it was Mary Mother of Christ, while Cerne residents were mostly indifferent. What is the rational response to such things? Cerne Abbas village hall, 7.30 pm, tickets £5.

  •  April 25: Guided Walk in Minterne Gardens.

Guided by owner Henry Digby and the house’s head gardener. 2.30pm, £6, proceeds to local causes.

  •  April 26: Romans in West Dorset.

Cerne Abbas Historical Society invites Dorset County Council archaeologist Steve Wallis to discuss the artefacts and traces of the Romans in the local area. 7pm onwards, with glasses of wine available. £3 for non-members of CAHS.

  •  April 27: Ceilidh with Tatterdemalion.

Caller Angela Laycock guides this raucous Irish dance at Cerne church, with noted dance group Tatterdemalion, from 7 pm. £6 for adults, £3 for children.

  •  April 28: ‘Pheasants not Peasants’ with Kate Adie.

The noted war reporter and presenter of Radio 4’s ‘From Our Own Correspondent’ takes a sideways glance at English country-dwellers and their peculiar affection for the land. From 7.30 pm.

  •  April 29: Landscape, Flowers and Butterflies.

Expert naturalist and conservationist Nigel Spring will lead an ambling walk along Giant Hill towards Minterne Parva, beginning at 2 pm. £5 including afternoon tea.

  •  Tuesday May 1: Wessex Morris.

The festival ends with a display of traditional dawn Morris dancing at the Trendle on Giant Hill. There will also be a chance to sample local spring tonic nettle beer. From 5.15 am.