Windlesham Arboretum, Nature reserve in Surrey, United Kingdom.
Windlesham Arboretum is a tree collection set in the Surrey countryside, on grounds that also include several lakes, a chapel, and a few small structures scattered across the property. The collection brings together both common and rare species from many parts of the world, planted across a large open estate.
William Spowers bought the farm property in 1957 and gradually transformed it into a tree collection over the following years. The arboretum was formally established in the 1980s as the planting grew and the estate took on its current shape.
The name Windlesham comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word, pointing to the long human connection this corner of Surrey has had with the land. Trees are loosely grouped by origin, so walking through the grounds feels like moving through different parts of the world without leaving England.
There are four entry points around the grounds, so it helps to check a map before you arrive to choose a starting point that suits your route. Footwear suitable for unpaved paths is a good idea, especially after rain, as some areas can be muddy.
Archaeological surveys of the grounds have uncovered Iron Age ditches and Roman-era structures buried beneath the surface, far below where the trees now grow. Visitors walking among the plantings are, without knowing it, moving above layers of human activity stretching back thousands of years.
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