What’s On
Forde Abbey Nursery
Chard, Somerset TA20 4LU United Kingdom
The House
Home to the stunning Mortlake tapestries, woven from the internationally famous Raphael cartoons, now housed in the V&A, the Abbey has a rich and varied history spanning 900 years. Walk in the actual footsteps of the monks, and explore the exquisite interior featured in the latest Hollywood adaptation of ‘Far From the Madding Crowd.’
The Gardens
Nominated for Historic Houses ‘Garden of the Year’ award 2019, the garden continues to evolve with sustainability very much at the heart of its aesthetic. An Asian woodland and prairie garden are just a few of the new designs turning the page on the next chapter of the garden.
Visitor Info
Everything you need to know to plan your day out at Forde Abbey including information on ticket prices, activities for children around the house and gardens, how to find us, places to stay nearby and a range of events to suit all ages throughout the year.
Plant Nursery
A seasonal selection of reasonably priced herbaceous perennials, grown on site, along with helpful advice and pots of inspiration for the garden – visitors rarely leave empty-handed!
Weddings
A beautiful and historic country house venue with award-winning gardens that offer romance, elegance, grandeur and beauty. To make your day even more special, Forde Abbey never books more than one wedding at a weekend, making it exclusively yours to enjoy.
My favourite garden by Isabel Bannerman
We first went to Forde Abbey with our guru and garden mentor David Vicary in the mid 1980s. We lived in a ‘rescue home’, a dilapidated but glorious Baroque mansion, between a roundabout and a Brookside housing development, called The Ivy in Chippenham. Forde was on...
