Abbotsbury and Langton Herring

Abbotsbury

Not even the Six Nations rugby could keep me indoors last weekend.

The sunshine beckoned and I took the opportunity to walk down to the beautiful Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens perhaps my most favourite place in our village.

There is something magical about these gardens even in the depth of winter and in the freezing cold.

It felt as if I had the gardens to myself, as I didn’t see another soul on my walk.

The leafless trees look really dramatic and within the gardens it’s obvious that much maintenance, and some changes are taking place.

One huge old oak has been felled and is in the process of being cut up.

Glimpses of colour were to be seen everywhere, some of the camellias are in bloom, hardly touched by the frost.

One pink camellia williamsii ‘St Ewe’ made me chuckle, it has a very apt name, as all around us in the village the ewes will be lambing in a few weeks time.

Fragrant sarcococcas and mahonias can be smelt as you walk along the paths and there are carpets of snowdrops on either side of the magnolia walk.

The gardens are well worth a visit at this time of year.

Shrove Tuesday was celebrated in Strangways Hall again this year

A simple pancake supper was provided by the Friends of St Nicholas Church.

It was a chance for friends to get together and have a chat while Tito Saunt and her friends provided the lovely background music on strings and concertina.

Thanks go to all involved.

The Chesil Bank Garden Club’s next meeting will be in Portesham on Tuesday, February 23

The speaker will be Charles Rugeron who will talk on Work as head gardener in Dorchester Borough Gardens.

Langton Herring

Langton’s village club’s January meeting went ahead despite the awful weather forecast

Warden of the Fleet Don Moxom and his wife Liz braved the elements and gave a talk on Aspects of the Fleet.

Fay Easy’s report tells how Don showed slides that depicted the Chesil Beach in all its moods – pretty when fine but menacingly dramatic during storms.

Don’s knowledge of the beach’s moods, its history, geology and wildlife is fascinating.

Dating back to the Jurassic period, the area is a World Heritage Site, but stones and fossils have been found that predate even the Jurassic.

Visitors are very welcome as long as they behave responsibly and do not damage the fragile infrastructure.

The audience were told that it is all too easy to tread on rare plants and on the nests of breeding birds.

The Fleet Nature Reserve is always happy to see visitors and to offer information and advice.

They give guided walks and informative talks and you can even take a trip in their glass-bottomed boat, the Fleet Observer.