Winkworth Arboretum, Godalming, Surrey
Go to Winkworth Arboretum near Godalming in springtime and you’ll see how everything is coming to life after a long winter sleep; buds bursting out, shoots shooting up, and then suddenly it’s an explosion of colour, like someone’s dropped a paintbox, but wow, it’s gorgeous! The azaleas and rhododendrons are a riot of colour, and later on, the woodland floor is a sea of bluebells.
That’s the beauty of Winkworth Arboretum you see, it rolls with the seasons; summer, autumn, winter, they all bring something different but equally impressive. Go and enjoy it with the family, it’s a fantastic excuse to get outside in the open air, to be with nature (do you need an excuse??). The kids can run about and let off steam, and they’ll love the Tree Adventure playground. Walk the dog, spend a couple of hours forest bathing, take your binoculars and look out for wildlife, have a leisurely pot of tea in the café, make an afternoon of it.
Want to know how it all started? The man who lived in the farmhouse that was next to what was then just woods bought them so that he could experiment with nature’s beautiful autumn colours on a grand scale. That’s how.
Open every day 10.00 am-4.00 pm All information correct at the time of writing