The Swannery was established by Benedictine Monks who built a monastery at Abbotsbury during the 1040's. The monks farmed the swans to produce food for their lavish Dorset banquets. St Peter's monastery was destroyed in 1539 during the dissolution and since that time the Swannery has been under the stewardship of the Ilchester Estates.
Before viewing the swans, visitors can look at the Decoyman’s House which has a display explaining how the colony has been managed over the years and evolved.
Because the Swannery is now a tourist attraction the swans have become accustomed to the presence of visitors and allow visitors to walk near them even in the nesting season when cygnets are on the nest.
The best time to visit is probably mid May to late June when hundreds of fluffy cygnets hatch from eggs in nests on or near the pathways. Because we didn't visit until August the cygnets were somewhat bigger than when they hatched but still lovely to see.
Daily mass feeding sessions take place at noon and 4 p.m. and the just before these times the swans start to gather around the feeding area.
A few years ago when we last visited Dorset Lara and a number of other children were invited to help with the feeding and this year she was again lucky enough to be allowed to help out which is quite an experience given the number of swans eagerly wanting food.
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