History of the Collection

 

The uniqueness of Westonbirt lies not only in the breadth of its tree collection but also in the style in which it was conceived. This is largely the result of one man - Robert Stayner Holford (1808 - 1892), the arboretum's original creator.

Robert inherited the estate from his father in 1839. At this time owning a fine country estate was considered the height of fashion and Robert wanted his to rival the best in England. With Westonbirt House (now Westonbirt School) at its centre he set about using his vast wealth developing the estate. His ambitions knew no bounds and included not only rebuilding Westonbirt House with formal pleasure gardens, but also the arboretum.

This was a time of great excitement in the plant world, with plant-hunters like David Douglas bringing new and exotic species from the farthest reaches of the British Empire. Although Robert Holford never went on expeditions, he probably financed some and the collection contains some of the original plants brought back - like the Monterey pine on the junction of Main and Circular Drives.

By 1855 much of the Old Arboretum had been laid out, including Main Drive, Specimen Avenue and the three main rides - Holford Ride, Morley Ride and Jackson Avenue. Influenced by the Picturesque Movement, the emphasis at Westonbirt was always on aesthetics, rather than science and Robert Holford's  passion was to create 'picturesque' landscapes, as advocated by William Gilpin. It seems likely that Robert, in keeping with wealthy Estate owners of his day created the arboretum for pleasure and as testament to his taste and wealth. The original entrance to the arboretum was from the east via Lodge Gate (now on Jackson Avenue) and it is through this gate that Robert and his friends would have visited the arboretum.

From the 1880s, the dominant figure in the Arboretum's development was Holford's son, George. Sir George expanded the Arboretum across the valley into Silk Wood, clearing the semi-natural woodland that had occupied the site for centuries and creating Willesley Drive, Broad Drive and Waste Drive, with their wide verges and bays of ornamental trees. He was also responsible for planting many of the rhododendrons and maples for which Westonbirt is so famous today.

Sir George left no heir when he died in 1926 and the estate passed to his nephew, the 4th Earl of Morley. In 1927 the mansion was sold and became a girls' school and the estate was split up. The 4th Earl died in 1951 and Westonbirt Arboretum passed to his brother.

Lack of maintenance, exacerbated by WW2, left the Arboretum in a sorry state and in 1956 the entire 600 acres (240 hectares) were handed over to the Forestry Commission, who had the huge task of making it safe for the public to enjoy its beauty for the first time. Like Holford we have had our own ambitious plans - including mapping, cataloguing and labelling the collection for the first time, as well as replanting and creating new areas, like The Link, in Silk Wood.

From its beginnings as a rich man's passion, the Arboretum now revolves around the unique collection of trees and shrubs; it has become a vital resource for conservation, recreation and education, with over 350,000 visitors a year enjoying the beauty and tranquillity.

Detailed pre Forestry Commission and post Forestry Commission timelines are available.