Our History

History of Westonbirt Heritage Gardens

The grounds of Westonbirt School, now known as Westonbirt Heritage Gardens, have been hailed as "the most historically significant private gardens in Gloucestershire". They were laid out primarily by Robert Holford as the private gardens to Westonbirt House, his country seat.
His estate also included the National Arboretum at Westonbirt, also planted by Holford but now owned by the Forestry Commission. Like Westonbirt House, the Gardens are Grade I listed and full of fascinating features.

Among their 23 acres are extensive terraced pleasure gardens, Italianate walled gardens, fountains and pools, statuary and stonework, a grotto, a grass amphitheatre and woodland walks by a lake. There are also many fine specimen trees, including six “champion” trees, i.e. the largest or oldest of their kind in the UK. Until recently, these gardens could be enjoyed only by the staff and pupils of the school, but they are now open to the public during certain holiday periods. The house and gardens may also be hired for private functions.

VISITORS' VERDICTS

Thomas Pakenham, author of Meetings with Remarkable Trees:

“Full of rare and interestings trees… planted with immense skill… (and influencing) subsequent generations of British garden and landscape designers.”

Roy Lancaster, Gardener, Writer & Broadcaster:

“I thoroughly enjoyed my visit as I have long wished to see where the man who made the Westonbirt Arboretum lived. I specially admired a lovely specimen of Acer forrestii from Yunnan in China – also a silver hedgehog holly sporting to a golden splashed version, something I hadn’t seen before…as well as the many old English hollies including Ilex x altaclarensis Hendersonii, a female Highclere holly raised by Thomas Hodgins nurseryman of Dunganstown, Ireland, early in the nineteenth century. It was named for a Mr Henderson, friend of a Mr J Shepherd, Curator of the Liverpool Botanic Garden before 1836.”

The Holfords of Westonbirt Trust now takes responsibility for the preservation and restoration of these historic gardens. For more information about their work, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it