Five times awarded 5 Gold Stars at RHS Chelsea
Forde Abbey in Spring
Discover a New Sculpture Trail
The gardens at Forde Abbey have awoken from their long winter doze; snowdrops making way for cheerful daffodils and primroses signalling that a new season is fast approaching.
Now, vibrant colour and plant life will take centre stage, with echoes of a rich and varied history that spans nearly a thousand years, as we head hopefully towards spring.
The opening of the gardens at Forde Abbey also raises the curtain on this year’s Sculpture Trail – a fitting environment in which to encounter the Robert James Workshop collection in the great outdoors.
Prepared with a map and a bold sense of adventure, you can discover our stunning bronze sculptures within the historic landscape in Somerset.
What’s more, curious explorers – there are new additions to be found on this year’s Trail!
Wonderland in the courtyard
In the restaurant courtyard at Forde Abbey, Alice in Wonderland stands against a backdrop of stonework and early-spring planting. The storied architecture frames her height and proportions beautifully, so that visitors might better understand how a hot cast bronze sculpture might occupy a space in their own garden
Nearby, a Mad Hatter Water Feature can be found – in winter and early spring light, the patinated bronze reveals subtle tonal variation across coat folds and the iconic hat brim of our tea party host. Meanwhile, the Mad Hatter Tea Party Urn demonstrates exactly how a statement piece can live in a formal garden space.
Seeing these sculptures up close, getting a feel for their structure, weight, and finish, does more than a photograph ever could!
View Lewis Carroll collectionSculpture Trail Map at Forde Abbey
New arrivals on the Trail
New additions to the Sculpture Trail this year include The Knave – a loyal member of the Queen of Hearts’ service. The quick-thinking gardener is memorably described in Lewis Carroll’s enduring classic, as he paints white roses red to temper the Queen’s broiling rage! The perfect feature for such an iconic gardenscape as can be found at Forde Abbey.
Meanwhile, Samuel Whiskers, drawn from the eponymous 1908 tale by Beatrix Potter, is another delightful sculpture to discover – a piece which captures the enormous old rat’s dastardly plan to make Tom Kitten into a pudding!
The Trail allows plenty of time and breathing space to view each sculpture. Visitors can meander, map in hand, at their leisure; observing the patination at close range, and understand how bronze behaves in shifting daylight.
See more of the Robert James Workshop collection
If you’d like to discover more, the Robert James Workshop gallery is just a short five-minute drive away, with visits available by appointment. There, the broader collection can be viewed in one place; a wholly more personal way to experience our work, with time for tea and a proper conversation with the makers.
Requesting a brochure ahead of your visit is a great starting point – giving you a complete overview of the collections and processes.
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