Winkworth Arboretum

Winkworth Arboretum

There is more to Winkworth than trees; it is a hillside garden featuring over 1,000 different species of plant. Winkworth was created by Dr Wilfrid Fox in the mid-20th century. It features lovely spring and autumn colour, a wetland area with boardwalks, and many rare species.

What to See

Winkworth is more of a woodland garden than a traditional arboretum, and the design has been called 'a masterpiece of planting'. There are large stands of woodland with winding trails leading past 2 lakes, through richly planted stands of holly, azaleas, and rhododendrons and rare plants seldom seen elsewhere. There are 46 hectares of gardens, set on a sloping hillside, with colour at every time of year.

In Spring you can see daffodils, magnolias, cherry blossoms, and colourful drifts of bluebells. Later in spring, there are lush displays of azaleas. The Azalea Walk leads to a boathouse by the shore of a quiet lake.

Summer highlights include flowering dogwoods. In autumn the maples come to the fore, with lush displays of reds and golds from American, Japanese, and Norwegian varieties. Other Autumn highlights include red oaks, sweet gums, and tupelos. There is a special Winter Garden for the coldest months of the year.

Though you are guaranteed to see something wonderful at any time of year, Winkworth is famous for its colourful displays of Autumn colour.

The famous garden designer Gertrude Jekyll lived at Winkworth when she was young. She would go on walks through the woodland long before Dr Fox decided to plant the woodland with exotic plants.

The Arboretum is open from dawn until dusk daily and is in the care of the National Trust.