Trees for changing times

This is somewhere you can genuinely spend a full day exploring without running out of things to discover. Forestry England runs the site with considerable care, and it really rewards taking time to see both main areas properly. The Old Arboretum displays many of the rarest and oldest specimens in formal arrangements that allow each tree to be properly appreciated. Silk Wood takes a different approach, feeling more open and naturalistic with native species and broader paths that encourage you to explore at your own pace. The Treetop Walkway stands out as something genuinely special – it lifts you up into the canopy, offering views of the trees from a completely different angle than you'd experience from below.

The site transforms across the year. Autumn is rightly celebrated for the colours on display, but spring brings blooming flowers and emerging foliage, while summer offers valuable shade during warm weather. There's a visitor centre, shop, and café here, so you can pause for refreshments without needing to leave the grounds.

Robert Stayner Holford created the arboretum in the mid-1800s as an expression of his botanical interests. His private collection evolved into a proper research and conservation institution that remains active today. Tetbury, a working market town with independent businesses and historical royal links, sits just a short drive away, and Malmesbury with its significant abbey makes another worthwhile nearby visit.