Fordham Abbey Open Day

Today we had a little Japanese trip out... to Fordham Abbey just north of Newmarket.

It is home to the Dojima Sake Brewery, but we weren't visiting that - it was the Japanese gardens we had come to see including its daffodils and cheery blossom. Furthermore the Event Hall Café was to be open for Japanese lunch and tea and cakes and a selection of Bento boxes. There was also a set of Japanese-related stalls

"The Dojima garden follows one of the principal styles of the Japanese garden, the ‘Stroll garden’ (kaiyushiki teien). Wherein the visitor is invited to walk around the garden, absorbing the varied garden scenery as an active participant. The garden unfolds as the viewer moves through the space. Banks of planting are used determining the path. In turn it hides and reveals aspects of the garden. Water is a significant feature of stroll gardens and a sinuous shaped pond lies at its heart." 

Read more about the gardens here.

Here are a few of my photos.

We liked the gate with its chains for the water to run down from the gutter.

Some of the cherry blossom.

Here are Sarah and William under a shower of petals.

A view across the garden to the Georgian manor house beyond.

Some of the flowers.

The old river bridge and pond.

 

The house.

Inside the café. This is the menu.

They were a bit run off their feet but we got some food eventually.

They had attempted to limit it to 150 visitors but, according to the lady in reception, had sold 290 tickets. I think I would preferred it a bit quieter, but it was lovely to visit in the spring sunshine. They have an annual membership which allows you to visit from Wednesdays to Sundays in the summer and Tuesdays to Sundays in the winter. "On full moon evenings, annual members are welcome to visit the gardens.  Japanese garden is lit and reflections of the full moon and the trees in the water are breathtaking!" I think I'd enjoy that.

You can see more of my photos here on Flickr.