Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens covers a huge 20 acres and within this are many different gardens to explore and wonderful native, exotic and rare plants to discover.

Shortly after you go through the entrance you’ll see the West Lawn which is perfect for picnics and from here there’s a couple of paths to take including a wheelchair accessible route.  We weren’t too worried about sticking to the map we were given so we just walked and walked until we couldn’t walk any more haha.

We came across so many plants and trees in bloom including rhododendrons, hydrangeas, magnolias, azaleas and camellia groves.  The kids had a great time helping me to Google Lens certain species of plants and bugs when we came across them (thanks to modern technology).  I’m one of those people that admire all flowers but half the time I’m not entirely sure what it is exactly so it’s good for me to learn.

When we got to the foot off a huge slope (250m and quite steep) we pondered on whether we should continue on our path or go up the hill.  I was so pleased we chose the latter and although it was hot and hard work the views at the top were breathtaking.  You could see all the way across the Jurassic coastline including the Swannery in the distance.  The kids then had a great time rolling down the hill and were a complete mess at the bottom!

We carried on walking through gardens, over red bridges, past little waterfalls and under monster sized gunnera manicata plants until we got to the long Burma Rope Bridge which everyone really enjoyed crossing.

By now we were all super thirsty so we went to the café for drinks and listened to the kookaburra who was in his aviary nearby.

There was an area which I knew we’d missed so we set off again and found the lily ponds.  If you have a spare 20p in your pocket then you can get some food from the small machine nearby and feed the little fishies in the pond.  We didn’t see any at all at first but once they knew food was nearby they made their way over to us.

There are some wonderful sculptures to be found in the gardens and so so many garden areas to explore so I have no doubt that we may have missed some.  As it was very near closing time we decided that we’d better call it a day and promised ourselves we’d return again next year.

For more information including admission prices and special events, please visit Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens.

If you would also like to read about our visit to Abbotsbury Swannery then please see our Blog post.

Good to know:

• Abbotsbury Swannery and Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens are currently running a special offer and children are only £1 during May and June 2023.

• Should you wish to visit both the Swannery and Gardens then you can buy a discounted ticket which allows access to both on either the same day or within a certain time period.

• Toilets and baby change facilities can be found at the entrance within the café.

• The café has a large selection of homemade cakes, pastries, light lunches and drinks with prices being reasonable.  Highchairs are available if required.

*Any times and specific details are correct at the time of writing in May 2023.

Dorsetmums was invited to Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens for the purpose of a review however all words are my own.

Did you know that Abbotsbury Swannery is the only place in the world where you can walk through a colony of approx 600 nesting Mute Swans?  If you love wildlife then it really is wonderful place to visit and our trip was made even more memorable as the sun was shining and there were plenty of new cygnets to be found.

Feeding times at the Swannery are at Noon and 4pm* so we had plenty of time to read about the history of the area on the information boards and for the kids to have a ride on the go karts.

The walk through the Swannery is so pretty and even before you see a swan there’s lots of other wildlife to spot including pheasants, birds, ducks and dragonflies.

We reached the feeding area just before noon and had a lovely spot near the gate which meant when the keepers came in with their wheelbarrow of food we had a good view of the cheeky swans helping themselves while the guys got prepared.

There were quite a few visitors and it was explained that every child would have a go at feeding the swans in groups and as we were near the front I thought my daughter at my side would be one of the first to go in but to my surprise she was a little scared and refused so we watched the other children throwing food out to the hungry swans instead whilst listening to the commentary.

From here we meandered around the rest of the reserve going across boardwalks and spotting nests with eggs, swans and lots of cygnets who were recently born.

As you explore, keep an eye out for information boards like the one that explains the history of the Russian Prime Ballerina Anna Pavlova.  Anna was fascinated by swans while growing up and moved to England in 1912 where she kept swans on an ornamental lake at her home in Hampstead.  Whilst preparing for the production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Anna and her ballerinas travelled to Abbotsbury to visit the Swannery.

As we came back out of the reserve we came across the huge swan maze and after remembering a few years ago when myself and the kids got lost in there with my mum I decided it was best we all stick together.  Before you start the maze there’s a wonderful area for a picnic with some games for the children to play with and as you journey through the maze you’ll find a funny distorting mirror, bells, steel drum, piano rain machine and xylophone.

Our daughter was in charge in the maze so we followed her around and around trying to find the Willow Egg at the centre and on the 4th time of coming back to the same place we all decided it was too hot and left to go to the play park instead.  One day I’ll make it to the centre or maybe we could even refer to the map we were given haha.  If you’re not so hot and tired then I’d recommend doing the maze quiz which you can pick up at the reception and children will enjoy finding the clue posts to discover a secret word.  Hand your sheet to the shop as you leave and if your word is correct then you’ll be entered into a monthly draw for the chance to win a Family Super Saver Season Ticket.*

When we got to the café and play area the kids ran off to play while I grabbed us some drinks and a cream tea for me.  I’d already packed a picnic and had treats for the kids but the scone was freshly made and very scrummy so I couldn’t resist.  Sadly the kids spotted me trying to hide it and I was reluctantly forced to share which I suppose is better for my waistline haha.

Since we were planning to also visit Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens we decided it was time to go and jumped back in the car.  If you would like to read about the Subtropical Gardens too then please see our Blog post.

If you live in the area then I would recommend visiting each attraction on separate days as there’s plenty to see and do.  We could have happily spent much longer at the Swannery and would have made another attempt at the maze at least.

For more information including admission prices and special events, please visit Abbotsbury Swannery.

Good to know:

• Abbotsbury Swannery and Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens are currently running a special offer and children are only £1 during May and June 2023.

• Should you wish to visit both the Swannery and Gardens then you can buy a discounted ticket which allows access to both on either the same day or within a certain time period.

• The café has appealing homemade cakes, pastries, light lunches and drinks with prices being reasonable.

• The Swannery is very child friendly and they have high chairs in the café and baby change facilities.

• There is a disabled toilet near the information area however all other toilets are at the entrance so you’ll need to make sure everyone has a toilet stop before going in.

*Any times and specific details are correct at the time of writing in May 2023.

Dorsetmums was invited to Abbotsbury Swannery for the purpose of a review however all words are my own.