We Offer:

extensive menu

daily specials

fine selection of wines

cask beers

comfortable bar area with
    open fire

patio area and beer
    garden

large car park

functions and buffets
catered for

close to The Ilchester
Arms Hotel

St Catherine's Chapel
overllooking the sea

The Village Of Abbotsbury

Abbotsbury is a large village and civil parish here in West Dorset situated 10 miles (16 km) north-west of Weymouth. Abbotsbury is a gateway village on the Jurassic Coast.

Abbotsbury is situated on The Fleet under a steep limestone hill. The village contains many old stone cottages, many of them thatched. 

The village is famous for its swannery, subtropical gardens, Abbey and abbey barn, castle, St Catherine's Chapel and the nearby Chesil Beach.

The bird sanctuary at Abbotsbury is over 600 years old, and is located on The Fleet, a natural haven for birds. Chesil Beach protects the Fleet and land behind it from storms, erosion and coastal flooding. There is a large colony of Mute Swans at the sanctuary, which is managed but open to the public. The site is an important nesting and breeding ground for the swans and, from May through the summer, cygnets can be seen at the sanctuary.

The sub-tropical gardens at Abbotsbury were founded in 1765 by the Countess of Ilchester, as a kitchen garden for the nearby castle. Since then, the gardens have developed into a 20 acre (81,000 m²) site filled with exotic plants, many of which were newly-discovered species when they were first introduced. There are formal and informal gardens, with woodland walks and walled gardens. In 1990 violent storms damaged many of the rare specimens, which have since been replaced by younger plants.

The swannery, subtropical gardens and an estate of some 15,000 acres (61 km²) in Dorset covering Chesil Beach and Abbotsbury is held by the Ilchester Estate owned by Mrs Charlotte Townshend, the daughter of Viscount Galway, a descendant of the first Countess of Ilchester and owner of the Melbury Estate.

On a hill above Abbotsbury, about 80 m (260 ft) high, stands St Catherine's Chapel, a small chapel built entirely of stone. The 14th century chapel overlooks the English Channel, and may have served as a beacon for sailors, warning of the nearby Isle of Portland.