Barnwood Arboretum & Barnwood Park

A hidden haven, this beautiful space includes unique hand-carved benches, the babbling Wotton Brook and a legacy of spectacular tress from the former grounds of Barnwood House Hospital. The largest area of Barnwood Park, including the brook and balancing ponds, is always accessible and off lead, whereas the smaller Barnwood Arboretum is usually open during daylight hours and requests that dogs are on leads.

Barnwood Arboretum is small in size but has a magnificent mixture of mature trees, and can be accessed via a footbridge over the brook. Specimen trees include several Giant Redwoods (all over twenty five meters tall), two Indian Bean Trees (one is Gloucester’s oldest) and a very rare Variegated Beech (likely supplied by Westonbirt Arboretum), these are surrounded by unimproved grassland which is managed by cattle in the summer and sheep in the winter (livestock are limited to the arboretum). The Friends of Barnwood Arboretum & Barnwood Park have provided a Tree Trail, which provides plenty of information about specimen trees, including which tree was planted to commemorate the Queen’s Coronation. There is also a tree carving sculpture trail which is great for kids.

Barnwood Arboretum & Barnwood Park is owned and managed by Gloucester City Council with support by Friends of Barnwood Arboretum & Barnwood Park; it has achieved Local Nature Reserve (LNR) status. The Arboretum & Park are a Green Flag Award Winner; this is an internationally recognised standard for the management of green spaces and sets the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces.

 

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