A Mount Fuji cherry in blossom
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Winter's cheer!

in Westonbirt

📷 Photo by David Lally · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

When you're exploring the southern edge of the Cotswolds, a visit to this world-renowned tree collection is well worth building your day around.

It's far more than just a forest—you're looking at a carefully assembled arboretum holding around 15,000 trees from across the globe, including many that are genuinely rare and difficult to find elsewhere. You could easily lose several hours here, wandering through the Old Arboretum to see the established mature specimens, or following paths through Silk Wood, where the planting feels more natural and native species have room to develop. The Treetop Walkway offers something genuinely different—a chance to experience the sheer scale of everything from above the canopy.

The place earns its reputation partly through spectacular autumn displays of reds and golds that draw visitors from across the region, but there's honestly something worthwhile in each season. Spring brings blossom, summer provides cooling shelter, and winter reveals the structure of the trees themselves in a quiet way. Robert Holford established the collection back in the mid-1800s, driven by a genuine passion for exotic trees, and the work of conservation and research continues today. There are cafes and a shop on site to keep you going. Tetbury sits just a short drive north if you want to explore nearby, with Malmesbury to the west offering further options for wandering and eating.

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51.60140°N, 2.22526°W Data: osm