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Friday 8 November 2013

Autumn colours at Forde Abbey, Dorset

This beautiful house, originally an Abbey founded by Cistercian monks over 800 years ago was transformed into a house as long ago as 1649! Both house and gardens are open to the public and are only a mile or two from my Mum's house. As she has a season ticket she had a couple of free guest passes, so when we had an afternoon free my OH and I decided to go for a walk around the gardens. The weather was pretty grim but given its closeness and the fact it wasn't going to cost us anything we had nothing to lose! I've visited many times over the years so I have seen it in all seasons.

When we arrived we were rather surprised to see trucks galore and soon realised there was a film crew there. At the ticket office we were informed that a movie remake of "Far From the Madding Crowd" was being filmed. Thankfully the gardens were still open and in fact we had to walk past loads of actors/extras in period costume to get to the gardens around the front of the house. We didn't find out until we left which actors were starring in it; nobody that I know apart from a couple of people I've vaguely heard of. Thank goodness it wasn't Colin Firth is all I can say, or I'd have spent all afternoon hanging around trying to get a glimpse of him! I actually remember the film from decades ago starring Julie Christie and Alan Bates but don't know the story line at all as I saw it when I was too young to make sense of it.

What I was surprised and pleased to see were the amount of pretty autumn colours here - a total contrast from higher up where Mum lives. We were told that this valley is in fact in quite a frost pocket which may explain some of the more native plants having already coloured up, but as it's a public garden with an arboretum it is not surprising that they also have many non native trees which have splendid autumn colours.

The back of the house with a huge walled kitchen garden with fruit, vegetables and flowers.

We weren't supposed to take photos but hey I've got a superzoom 'paparazzi' camera
so nobody noticed me taking this from a distance..... :-)

View uphill from the bog garden.

Yours truly!

View over the Great Pond from the bog garden.

Farmland behind the gardens looking very English to me.

There were loads of flowers still in bloom.

The Mermaid Pond.

A Japanese Maple starting to change colour,
and I can just about see a face in that bark behind.

No idea what the fungi is but it looks interesting.

There are extensive rock gardens which were still very colourful.

I see faces in these flower buds! I think it's a flowering sage of some kind.

Dahlias and more Dahlias.

The annoying thing about the filming is that the front of the building was covered in
scaffolding with lighting rigs and people, vans and trucks all in the way.

I've no idea what most of the trees in the arboretum section were but it was
wonderful to see so many trees and shrubs starting to turn beautiful colours.

There were also plenty of trees with berries too which brightened up a dull day!

All in all a lovely visit despite grey skies.

Their website, showing what it looks like through the seasons, and with blue sky! http://www.fordeabbey.co.uk/

15 comments:

  1. Looks fabulous Mandy and you've done us a huge favour by blogging about it.
    We are staying in a cottage in Lyme Regis next weekend as it's my birthday, I see from the website that entry to the gardens are free so it is definitely on our "to do" list!

    Philippa

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    1. Ah well that's not far at all! I did have a quick look on their website and noticed free visits. Does that include the house as well? I have only been round the house once but really once is enough for me. The gardens I am happy to see many times. I hope you have a great time and there should be some really great tree colours by then! I wonder if they will still be filming... :-)

      Make sure you get a photo of you doing the French Lieutentant's Woman bit on the Cobb at Lyme Regis.... haha! Thanks Philippa and have a great birthday weekend if I don't get a chance to talk to you before. Will try to get onto the Gits forum but I am so busy these days all over the internet (as well as real life). But I have made some more bramble jelly and some of that has your name written all over it. :-)

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    2. The house is now closed so it's just the gardens.
      I think I've done the FLW bit several times Mandy at Lyme Regis.
      As you haven't been on Gits you won't know that Alan's Dad died this week so we have been very busy sorting things out.

      Looking forward to the jam whenever we manage to meet up.

      Philippa

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    3. Oh I'm so sorry to hear that Philippa. Please pass on my condolences to Alan.
      I'm currently looking through Grumpy Gits right now to see where you posted about it but I think it's in the middle of a very, very long thread which I'm reading, about healthcare. I'm assuming Angus is someone who was banned who has come back? Or maybe that was his friend?

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    4. Angus is his friend Mandy if you were thinking it was bennie!.

      Alan says thanks for the condolences, we've just spent 2 hours writing a eulogy that Alan can read at the crematorium. Very hard work!

      Philippa

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    5. Yes I remember now who Angus is, and it was Bennie who I was talking about! Same views though! ;-)

      I have replied on the forum which is a more suitable place about the funeral.

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    6. We loved Forde Abbey Mandy, we spent a couple of hours there on Friday, the colours were spectacular. The fountain was impressive and we had a nice lunch in the tea room.

      Philippa

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    7. Really glad you enjoyed it Philippa and that there were still great colours on the trees. We only saw that fountain from the car park as it was switched off by the time we got into the garden! I've not tried the tea room yet - maybe next time. xx

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    8. The fountain only switches on 3 times a day so we were lucky to see it really.
      We only had sandwiches in the tea room but they came with a plate of salad and delicious salad dressing. xx

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    9. Sounds good, bet they have some nice cakes too! :-)

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  2. Impressive fungi, flowers and faces, with filming as an added extra. I think you need a bigger lens to further your paparazzi career though Mandy. Your gnome impersonation is spot on though. ;-P

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    1. Gnome! Excuuuuuuse me!!! You are horrid Mr Schierloh :-)
      I wasn't zoomed in to max but there was no-one there worth getting a grainy close up of to sell to the Sun ;-)
      Cheers Nick!

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  3. Thank you for a wonderful tour, Mandy, and beautiful images. What fun it must have been!

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  4. P.S....Forgot to mention I saw the face in the bark :-)

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    1. Thanks very much Marianne. It was a great place to visit. I think of you every time I see a face in something now! :-)

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