20 Attractions to Explore Near Forde Abbey House and Gardens

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Forde Abbey

Forde Abbey

0.62km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Forde Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery dating back to the early 12th century. Throughout the 20th century, the 30 acres of gardens that surround this unique house have been transformed by the present owners. The house and gardens are run as a tourist attraction while the 1,600-acre estate is farmed to provide additional revenue. Forde Abbey is a Grade I listed building.

Chard Museum

Chard Museum

5.26km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Chard Museum and Heritage Centre is a museum located in the village of Chard near the border with Devon. Exhibits include the history of Chard, historical agricultural equipment, a display on cider making, a 1960's exhibit, a blacksmith's forge display and an exhibit on John Stringfellow, who worked in Chard and was a pioneer of powered flying machines.

Hornsbury Mill

Hornsbury Mill

6.2km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

A beautiful 19th- century watermill set in 5 acres of peaceful, landscaped water gardens, deep in the heart of Somerset. This watermill combines beautiful original features and traditional character with modern comforts. Today it has been beautifully converted into a 4-star hotel, with the historic mill’s stunning original features carefully preserved and sensitively integrated. All of the hotel’s cosy en suite rooms are individually designed and decorated in a traditional country style.

Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre

Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre

12.17km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Set up to encourage safe and sustainable collecting of Jurassic fossils from local beaches, the centre offers hands-on displays, interactive computers and information about fossils and fossil hunting. Throughout the year the centre runs guided fossil hunting walks as well as countryside and marine discovery activities along the coastline. Beyond the centre, there is a lovely beach – perfect for swimming, and several beautiful walks. A great day out for all the family.

Charmouth Beach

Charmouth Beach

12.2km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Charmouth is a delightful unspoiled seaside village set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a fantastic beach world-renowned for its fossils. The large shingle beach and the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre on the seafront are a must-visit for those interested in fossils and local natural history. It is great for the family – lots of sand especially at low tide, safe swimming, picnic areas, cafes, and beach shops.

Dinosaurland Fossil Museum

Dinosaurland Fossil Museum

13.05km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Dinosaurland Fossil Museum is a private museum which is owned and run by Palaeontologist Steve Davies and his wife Jenny. The museum contains a spectacular collection of the local Jurassic marine fossils. The ground floor of the museum houses a spectacular collection of 200-million-year-old Jurassic fossils which have been discovered along the local coastline. Exhibits range from the enormous Ichthyosaur to the tiniest fish and ammonites.

The Town Mill

The Town Mill

13.13km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

The Town Mill is a unique mix of working watermills, art galleries, and creative artisanal businesses. Centered around a beautiful medieval cobbled courtyard and featuring a landscaped ‘Miller’s Garden’, the Town Mill is one of Lyme Regis’ leading attractions. watch the giant waterwheel turn as it is driven by water from the River Lym. A miller will demonstrate how the huge gears harness this power to drive the heavy grindstone.

Lyme Regis Museum

Lyme Regis Museum

13.2km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Lyme Regis Museum houses some fantastic fossils and is a great place to learn about the long history of fossil collecting in the area. It is built on the site of the birthplace and home of the fossil hunter Mary Anning. The Anning family also ran a shop here.

Barrington Court

Barrington Court

13.63km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Barrington Court is a charming Tudor manor house complimented beautifully with Gertrude Jekyll-inspired gardens, apple orchards and a working kitchen garden. The house was originally surrounded by a medieval deer park and in the 17th century a formal garden was constructed. This had largely disappeared until a new garden was laid out by garden designer Gertrude Jekyll in an Arts and Crafts-style.

Golden Cap

Golden Cap

13.82km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Golden Cap is a hill and cliff situated on the English Channel coast between Bridport and Charmouth in Dorset. The great rocky shoulder of Golden Cap offers magnificent views at every compass point. On a clear day, you can see across Lyme Bay to Dartmoor - well worth the effort of the walk uphill. Langdon is owned by the National Trust and encompasses a circular walk of approximately one mile.

Monmouth Beach

Monmouth Beach

13.91km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Monmouth Beach is a pebble and rock beach which was located just outside the town of Lyme Regis, and stretches from the famous Cobb for about one mile, to Pinhey Beach. This beach is so named because the Duke of Monmouth landed here in 1685 in an attempt to wrest the crown from King James II. One of the family-friendly beach and is apt for a swim and bath.

Mapperton House & Gardens

Mapperton House & Gardens

15.39km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Mapperton is a glorious sandstone manor house and romantic valley garden deep in a lost Dorset combe among tumbling hills and unspoiled countryside. It hosts several events each year, including charity plant fairs, classical concerts, easter trails, creepy crawly shows, food shows and halloween fun days. The house is open by guided tour only, which run at set times each day.

East Lambrook Manor Gardens

East Lambrook Manor Gardens

15.49km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

East Lambrook Manor Gardens is the iconic and quintessentially English cottage garden created by the celebrated 20th-century plantswoman and gardening writer Margery Fish. The Grade 1 listed garden has been restored by new owners and is full of rare and unusual plants. Very strong on herbaceous it also contains one of the best collection of hardy geraniums in the country.

Ham Hill Country Park

Ham Hill Country Park

16.82km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

A beautiful 390 acre open access Country Park, superb countryside and Iron Age earthworks. Ham Hill has amazing panoramic views of Somerset. Ham Hill Country Park is now more accessible for all than ever before. There are suitable walks and trails for all levels of walkers.

Ham Hill, Somerset

Ham Hill, Somerset

17km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Ham Hill is a 390 acre open access Country Park with superb countryside and Iron Age earthworks. Ham Hill has amazing panoramic views of Somerset. It is also a Green Flag Award winner too. There are suitable walks and trails for all levels of walkers. The geology supports a wide range of fauna including mammals, birds, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians living on lichens, fungi, ferns and flowering plants.

National Trust - Montacute House

National Trust - Montacute House

18.4km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

The National Trust's Montacute House, Somerset, is a beautiful Elizabethan mansion with surrounding gardens. The house was built in about 1598 and inhabited by the Phelips family until 1911. This Grade I listed building is one of the few houses to have remained virtually unchanged since Elizabethan times. The stunning east front with its large mullioned windows gives the impression that the whole façade is made of glass.

Seaton Jurassic

Seaton Jurassic

18.8km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Discover over 250 million years of history as you explore the interactive displays at Seaton Jurassic, a community lead centre, which allows visitors to learn more about the Jurassic Coast. Seaton Jurassic host a number of exciting events, designed to engage children with the natural surroundings and coastal and marine life. These include weekly craft sessions, nature trails and talks and seminars.

Seaton Tramway

Seaton Tramway

18.85km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Seaton Tramway operates narrow gauge heritage trams between Seaton, Colyford and Colyton in East Devon's glorious Axe Valley, travelling alongside the River Axe estuary through two nature reserves and giving an unrivalled view of the abundant wading birdlife. Fourteen tramcars are part of the visitor attraction, which sees about 80,000 visitors per year.

National Trust - Tintinhull Garden

National Trust - Tintinhull Garden

20.39km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Tintinhull Garden, located in Tintinhull, near Yeovil in the English county of Somerset, is a small 20th century Arts and Crafts garden surrounding a 17th-century Grade I listed house. The Arts and Crafts style garden is modeled on that at Hidcote Manor Garden in Gloucestershire. It was originally laid out by Phyllis Reiss and developed by Penelope Hobhouse. The house started as a small farmhouse in 1630 but was enlarged into its current form in the 18th century.

Beer Beach

Beer Beach

20.62km from Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Beer beach is a beautiful family friendly shingle beach surrounded by limestone cliffs. Beer Beach is close to Seaton town, and a great day out if you are based in Seaton. Once a smuggler's haven. Specially designed boats are launched from beach by skilled fishermen and mackerel fishing trips available.

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Know more about Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Forde Abbey House and Gardens

Forde Abbey, Estate, Chard TA20 4LU, UK

Forde Abbey is a stunning example of history preserved but not petrified, where the Kennard family continues to live and work in an informal style and where visitors will always receive a warm welcome. It has a long and varied history and was mostly neglected in the 19th century. The current family owners have lived in the house since 1905. The gardens are Grade II* listed and they cover 30 acres. There are several water features, planted gardens and an arboretum.