English Countryside & Forde Abbey

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

What you will visit:

Forde Abbey
Set in the verdant surroundings of 30 acres of gardens in the center of the Kennard family estate lies the remarkable Forde Abbey. Founded over 800 years ago by Cistercian monks, the abbey is home to the ornate Mortlake Tapestries, which were woven around 1520 and depict the drawings of Raphael.

Forde Abbey Gardens
The Great Pond, once used to power the abbey's mill, is all that remains from the original Cistercian monks' efforts, but the elaborate, award-winning abbey gardens offer a trove of delights. The gardens embrace both formal and informal design and feature a bog, park and rock gardens, an arboretum, and the Centenary Fountain--the highest-spouting powered fountain in the country. Paths meander through the park, giving ample opportunity to rest and reflect in a glorious and peaceful setting.

What you will see along the way:
Starting in historic Portland Harbor, which was used for over 500 years by the British Royal Navy and is now one of the largest man-made harbors in the world, you will travel along the famed Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site. Passing Chesil Beach, an 18-mile stretch that is separated from the mainland by Fleet Lagoon and was made famous by the novelist Ian McEwan, your comfortable motorcoach will make its way through the rolling greenery of the Dorset countryside to the scenic Forde Abbey.