Visiting the arboretum

This year we are trying out Visitor Days – a chance for people to come and enjoy the arboretum for a walk.  Read on for more information and dates for the year.

The Tortworth arboretum is a unique woodland. Once a nationally important tree collection, it was left abandoned for a number of years and nature took over. For 6 years the Tortworth Forest Centre team and countless volunteers have been working to restore the site – re-establishing paths and rediscovering the exotic tree collection – whilst nurturing the wildlife that is here, and striking an unusual balance between wild woods and managed arboretum. The result is a very special and serene place.

Whilst there is a public footpath along the bottom of the site which can be accessed any time, the rest of the site is a private woodland and is only open to the public when we run events and workshops. We know from feedback from visitors and volunteers that you’d love to have more opportunities to visit the woods, so this year we want to give you those opportunities.

On these days we will open our gates and provide tree maps for you to access this unique and special woodland, and learn about our tree collection.  We won’t put on any activities on these days – it’s just an opportunity to explore and enjoy the peace and quiet.

In future months (when the Covid situation has settled a bit) we hope to have refreshments available too.  In the meantime bring your flask and snacks, or perhaps even a picnic.

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The Visitor Days, for which there will be a small charge to enter, will usually run on the third Saturday of the month.  Whilst there are Government restrictions in place, the numbers of visitors will be limited and arrival slots must be booked in advance; we also ask that you follow Government guidelines about exercise, travel etc. We hope that this will change over the coming months!

During four months of this year, the Visitor Days will be replaced with free to attend Open Days, funded through our National Lottery Heritage Fund grant. These events will see activities for families, walks and talks etc.

In addition to these events, we hope to run a series of wildlife and educational events throughout the year. We will post updates about these on our website and social media channels.

Details of all our events, including how to book to attend a Visitor Day, can be found here. Information on how to plan for a visit can be found here.