Bluebell Visitor Day

Join us on 20th April for a self-guided walk through the tranquil Dell of Tortworth Arboretum. This month we’re celebrating a forest floor spectacle as bluebells carpet the arboretum!

We invite you to enjoy the peace of this place, follow a map of marked trails or go off grid and create your own. This ancient woodland was once overrun by bramble and bracken, and since 2014 has been carefully restored by a dedicated team of volunteers. They have uncovered an arena and steps once used by donkeys to transport produce from the kitchen gardens to the main house, plus a stunning collection of over 600, native, exotic and veteran trees. As the ground was cleared we were rewarded with carpets of seasonal flowers, including snowdrops and bluebells. Work now focuses on replanting and maintaining the arboretum. The team have created paths and cleared around trees and plants so they can flourish and be enjoyed, and are improving labelling and signage. It’s still wild in places, and we plan to keep it that way because it’s part of what makes this place unique. Moreover, it’s also great for wildlife.

Once you’ve finished your walk, or if you need a brief break just follow the enticing smell of woodsmoke back to the Roundhouse where a warm beverage awaits you.

Connect with yourself, connect with your loved ones, connect with nature.

Book your ticket today!

Become a Friend of Tortworth:

Support our ongoing conservation and community work with this annual pass. Friends of Tortworth can attend unlimited Visitor Days for a year, as well as receiving discounts on our Walk and Talk and other events. Every year we need to raise £100,000 to plant trees, train volunteers, pay staff, maintain tools and our minibus so that people without car access can attend our wellbeing groups. Attending events or becoming an annual pass holder helps support the ongoing conservation work at Tortworth. Find out more here.

Planning your visit:

• Due to the natural pathways the site is not suitable for wheelchair users or those with mobility issues, and only suitable for off-road buggies
• There is no running water or electricity here, we invite visitors to bring sufficient drinking water and a picnic. Hot drinks will be available in the Roundhouse.
• Well behaved dogs welcome on leads
• These delicate, native flowers are slow to recover from damage (like trampling), as well as slow to grow and spread, as such it is a protected species. If trodden on one year a bluebell may not have the energy to grow again the following spring, if they recover at all! You can learn more about bluebells in our blog.
• Discounts available for groups of 10+. Email events@tortwortharboretum.org for more information
• Please find detailed information about how to find us, and more information to help you plan your visits here.

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