Forde Abbey and Gardens

One of the top ten gardens in England surrounds this magnificent stately home. The abbey was founded in 1140 on the banks of the River Axe nestled in the rolling Dorset hills. Built of deep golden hamstone it evolved over the years into a beautiful country house of immense character and charm. Home to the Roper family since 1863 it is one of the oldest inhabited houses in England open to the public. The 30 acres of world famous gardens date from 1700 when the monastic Great Pond was linked to a chain of ponds and cascades in one of the earliest examples of landscape gardening. Not to be missed are the millions of spring bulbs, bog garden, rockery, arboretum, herbaceous borders and working walled kitchen garden. The majority of the gardens have been developed over the past 100 years to create a garden worthy of the house it surrounds.

Address:

Chard
Somerset

Click here for more colour, opening dates, admission prices and full contact information.