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Westonbirt Arboretum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Westonbirt Arboretum is an arboretum near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, England, perhaps the most important and widely known arboretum in the United Kingdom. An arboretum is a managed collection of trees, usually open to the public, used for education, pleasure and conservation.It is managed by the Forestry Commission, which also manages Bedgebury Pinetum. The arboretum was established in 1829 by Robert Holford, and was later extended by his son George Holford. It is close to the Holford family's mansion Westonbirt House, which is now a girls' boarding school, though it does not form the garden of the building, which is on the other side of a public road. After the death of George in 1926 ownership passed to his nephew the fourth Earl of Morley, and eventually to the Forestry Commission in 1956.
Westonbirt comprises some 18,000 trees and shrubs, over an area of approximately 600 acres (2.4 km²). Its 17 miles (27 km) of marked paths are popular with visitors, and provide access to a wide variety of rare plants.
The arboretum is located at Ordnance Survey mapping six-figure grid reference ST 848898
Despite parking and entrance fees, the Arboretum is in fact open access, and those who come on foot or cycle will find many public footpaths crossing the Arboretum, affording the same access free of charge as those who have paid to park at the designated entrance.