Westonbirt, The National Arboretum is an arboretum in Gloucestershire, England, about 3 miles southwest of the town of Tetbury. Managed by the Forestry Commission, it is perhaps the most important and widely known arboretum in the United Kingdom.
A remarkable place for people to enjoy and learn about trees - 15,000 specimens from all over the globe offer the perfect place to relax, learn or have an adventure!
The 15,000 labelled trees (around 2,500 different types of tree) come from Britain, China, North America, Japan, Chile and other temperate climates. Planting started in the 1850s by Robert Holford; the rich Victorian landowner to whom the Westonbirt estate belonged.
Within the 17 miles of accessible paths and five national collections, children become young adventurers, adults connect with trees through guided walks, workshops, self-led trails or volunteering.
Westonbirt Arboretum consists of three main areas. The Old Arboretum (a dog free zone) is a carefully designed landscape dating from the 1850s offering beautiful vistas, stately avenues and trees from around the world.
Silk Wood (dog-friendly) is an ancient, semi-natural woodland which has exotic plantings throughout its landscape, whilst the Grade I registered Downs hosts species-rich grassland and is a great picnicking location.
Access
We would like everyone to enjoy Westonbirt Arboretum and pride ourselves on being a site that has excellent facilities and access.
Disabled adults are charged the adult admission rate, and disabled children under 18 years are charged the child admission rate.
In both cases the cost of admission includes free entry for one essential carer per disabled visitor.
Disabled parking spaces are located close to the Welcome Building.
New Mobility Shuttle Service
From 30 September until March 2018 we will be piloting a new mobility shuttle service, running on Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends, to help less mobile visitors get from the Welcome Building to the restaurant and main facilities.
Scooter and wheelchair loan
Wheelchairs and mobility scooters are available from the Welcome Building. Please book wheelchairs and mobility scooters in advance by calling Visitor Services on 0300 067 4861.
Mobility scooters are available for free loan in two time slots: from 10am to 1pm and from 1.15pm to 4pm.
Please note that bookings for mobility scooters can be made a maximum of four weeks in advance, and bookings are limited to four scooters per group.
Accessible paths
All hard paths are accessible for wheelchairs and scooters and buggies. Trails off the paths are accessible depending on weather conditions but can be unsuitable in wet conditions due to mud. Please note that due to the terrain we do not advise the use of three wheel electric scooters.
Disabled toilets
Disabled toilets can be found in the Welcome Building.
Changing Place
Our changing place can be found in the toilet block close to the Great Oak Hall. It includes toilet facilities as well as equipment such as a height adjustable changing bed and a ceiling hoist. The hoist can lift up to 190kg and allows users easy movement in all dimensions around the room. This facility is part of the Changing Places scheme.
Family facilities
Baby changing areas are located in the Welcome Building toilets and in the main toilet block next to the Great Oak Hall. The hard paths of the arboretum are accessible for buggies and we have the special Exploratree playground next to the cafe for under 5s.
Assistance Dogs
Registered assistance dogs are welcome in all parts of Westonbirt Arboretum.
Accessible visitor information
Westonbirt's web pages and the wider Forestry Commission website have various accessibility features.
