Abbotsbury Swannery.

Abbotsbury is a village on B3157 between Weymouth and Lyme Regis at the North end of the Fleet. Apart from the Swannery (a remnant of a monastic past) there is also a famous garden. Ring the tourist information quoted below for more details.

For closer encounters of the 3rd kind with 100's of Mute Swans, this place is unrivalled! Go during the breeding season, and you will walk or wheel past nesting swans (not for the fainthearted), but they assure me nobody has been injured yet! Disabled birders can drive up to the Swannery. The reserve is more than just swans, there are hides over the Fleet (we saw Black-necked Grebes in autumn) and the path takes you around several reed-lined pools. A fascinating place, well worth a visit.

Ring for opening hours and current admission charges.