One of the most exciting and memorable annual attractions in Dorset is the hatching of the baby swans at the Abbotsbury Swannery. It usually happens around mid May each year, although last year the first cygnet hatched on 3 May – nearly two weeks earlier than usual!
The swannery is an ancient institution dating back to 14th century, when the swans were tended to by monks from the nearby abbey. The monks have gone, but other than that little has changed, and the swans are still fed, ...