Ilkeston Cam on Holiday

w/e 24 November 2024
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300
Part 09 - Buckfast Abbey Gardens
After spending some time in the Abbey Church we moved outside
again to wander around the grounds and gardens.

On leaving the church our view across the lawns and wide paths
was towards The Grange Restaurant but from here, we turned to
the right to walk alongside the church to what Google maps describe
as the Sensory Garden.
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The Sensory Garden in fact is actually a rectangular area surrounded
by a hedge and split into four distinct quarters by an arbour.
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The four sections contain "household, culinary, medicinal
and poisonous plants" and aim to show what would have been
grown in a monastic herb garden. Several information panels in
the Sensory Garden give more details about each section and one
explains that many of the plants fit into several sections as
different parts of the plant were used for different purposes.
Another states that it is a place for contemplation and peace.
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From the Sensory Garden we moved across to the three arches denoting
the entry and exit points to the Millennium Garden. From the
entrance a path winds its way through the trees and shrubs to
exit via the arch on the left.
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The Millennium Garden
is a fairly new addition to the grounds at the Abbey, not being
installed until 2018 following an idea two years earlier by one
of the gardeners. The idea was to turn the logo of Buckfast Abbey
(left) into three dimensions and a mock up was quickly constructed
and entered in the Malvern Spring Show in 2017 where it won a
silver medal. Installation at the Abbey followed.
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Our next stop was the Lavender Garden where many different varieties
of lavender fill the area in front of the Conference Centre.
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I thought this was a nice touch - a sign encouraging visitors
to walk on the grass. It makes a pleasant change from many places
where signs often display warnings to keep off the grass.
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An imposing tree, a Montery pine, in the lawns is protected from
visitors however by a low fence. An information panel reproduced
above details the history of the tree and the work being done
to protect it.
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It was almost time for us to leave the Abbey and as we made our
way back to the car park, we passed Buckfast Methodist Church
(the white building on the left) and went through the arch of
the building ahead which houses the Monastic Way exhibition and
the gift shop.
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There was still time though to pause and
admire this eye-catching border.

The next day we set off for
home but it seems as though Paignton was sad to see us go. We'd
had some lovely weather during our brief stay on the English
Riviera but even the sky seemed to shed a tear at our departure.
Never mind, we may be back one day - who knows?
Back to Part 08 - Buckfast Abbey
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