Westonbirt, The National Arboretum

About

Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, managed by the Forestry Commission, is one of the finest collections of temperate trees and shrubs in the world.

The 600 acre arboretum is home to 3,000 different species of trees and around 15,000 individual specimens. A place of environmental and historical importance, its Victorian creator Robert Holford was fascinated by rare and beautiful plants and helped finance expeditions to collect specimens from around the world.

Westonbirt is known internationally for its spectacular autumn colour display, but offers an unforgettable day out all year round, from magnificent flowering trees in spring, to sculptural and bright-stemmed specimens in winter.

Activities throughout the year
Events, workshops and family activities run throughout the year. Signature events include Treefest in August and the spectacular Enchanted Christmas illuminated trail in November and December.
There are 17 miles of paths throughout the arboretum and dozens of leafy glades with levels of accessibility to suit a range of visitors. Free weekend guided walks led by knowledgeable volunteers are available from Easter to October, and you can fire your children’s imaginations with an adventure into the trees along our play trail.
There are mobility scooters and manual wheelchairs available to borrow (it is advisable to book these in advance), special group rates on request and retail and refreshment opportunities onsite.
Westonbirt has a huge area, Silk Wood, for you and your dog to explore. The Old Arboretum and the Christopher Mitchell Information Centre are dog-free zones.

Gruffalo Sculptures - If you venture into the deep dark wood you may bump into the Gruffalo, the Gruffalo's Child and other characters from the book too!

Zog Activity trail - Based on Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s magical children’s picture book, children are invited to step into the forest classroom and learn lessons just like Zog, the loveable, if somewhat clumsy, dragon at Dragon School. Learn how animals fly, what sounds they make and how they catch their prey! As well as winning gold stars along the self-led trail, there will be reveal panels which have a hidden image that children can find using a coloured lens in their activity pack. Available to buy for just £3 the activity pack will also include a Zog mask, activity sheets a pencil and stickers.

Spring at Westonbirt
After a long and wet winter, the first signs that spring is on the way are starting to be spotted at Forestry England’s Westonbirt, The National Arboretum. To help the public take in the best of the new season, the team at Westonbirt have today launched a new walking trail, which will get visitors using all five senses to experience one of the world’s most beautiful woodland gardens. As visitors wind their way through the trees, they’ll find various stops on the way which will demonstrate how wildlife, plants and humans interact with the natural world around them using all five senses.

The trail is free after entry to the arboretum, and a free accompanying map can be collected from the Welcome Building on arrival. The new spring seasonal trail will be at the arboretum until the 31 May.

​​​​​​Summer at Westonbirt
Westonbirt is the perfect place in which to escape from hot weather, green leafy rides and secluded glades providing cool refreshment from the sun.

Over the August Bank Holiday weekend you can enjoy Treefest - watch as carvers take inspiration from nature to create large wooden sculptures, listen to local live music, see traditional woodcraft and woodland skills, meet local food producers and watch live arena demonstrations.

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