Inside Fordham Abbey, the Dojima Sake Brewery and water gardens close to the Suffolk border
A unique fusion of English heritage and Japanese culture is to be found close to the Suffolk border.
Since 2018, Fordham Abbey, an elegant Georgian manor house built on the site of a 13th century priory with 75 acres of garden and pastures, has been home to the Dojima Sake Brewery, which has its roots in Osaka with 500 years of brewing history.
The sake is hand crafted using carefully selected Japanese rice and pure water drawn from the ice age strata below the Abbey, located just over the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border. The result is a drink of delicate flavours and aromas which complements a wide range of cuisines.
The Covid pandemic has meant that a number of planned additions to the brewery, including a spa, have been shelved but following the end of the 2021 brewing season, brewery tours and tastings, by appointment, have recently re-started.
The stunning Japanese water gardens will be open to the public every Saturday and Sunday until October between 10am and 4pm.
The garden ticket, at £10, includes the magnificent walled kitchen gardens and greenhouse where fruit and vegetables are grown for functions in the Abbey – also curtailed due to Covid.
Annual memberships are also available offering access to the garden midweek and special events such as full-moon evenings when the gardens will be lit.
Membership also offers the chance to attend Anglo-Japanese cultural events in the beautifully refurbished house and to hire the ground floor rooms.
Visit the website at fordhamabbey.co.uk for more information.
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