Windlesham Arboretum

Windlesham Arboretum

Windlesham Arboretum is between the villages of Windlesham and Lightwater in Surrey, United Kingdom. The arboretum is medium in size and features lakes, monuments, follies, a very small chapel and approximately 22,000 mature and rare trees. The Windle Brook runs through the arboretum and has seven main footbridges and approximately ten ponds on each side, some of which are more properly identifiable as lakes based on size. The land and lakes, including a scattered number of buildings altogether consist of just over 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2).

Features

The arboretum which is also a fresh water park is specifically in the south of the civil parish of Windlesham, where alluvial soils juxtapose, furthest from the brook, with acidic naturally wet heath.[1]

A small percentage of land use is homes (one of which is a farm) within the bounds, which own negligible parts of the arboretum as their semi-woodland garden in the style of Gertrude Jekyll who lived in Surrey for most of her life. None is a listed building One such home is that of the Spowers family and Mjr. William Spowers founded the Arboretum who died in old age in 2009.

The Arboretum is not promoted or sponsored by the secular (that is, civil) or ecclesiastical parish. It occupies just over 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2).

Ownership and rules

The arboretum is owned by a charity.[2] The public is permitted limited access from four main entry points spread around the compass during daylight hours. Picnics, barbecues, bicycles and leisure activities other than walking, study and reflection are prohibited. The objects of the charitable trust are to advance education in the study of trees and birds[3] and access to the arboretum is restricted to educational activities.

The Arboretum is a main fishing ground of Windlesham Angling Society who during its fishing season hold competitions on some weekends.

It is almost daily patrolled and maintained to ensure its use remains in accordance with the objects when open.

Archaeology

An archeological survey of the Arboretum was carried out by the Surrey Heath Archaeological & Heritage Trust[4] and found coins and pottery and signs of old Iron Age enclosure ditches and Romano-British agricultural buildings.

References

  1. ↑ Cranfield University National Soil Resources Institute
  2. ↑ Charity Commission: Find Charities 284099 The Spowers Charitable Trust. Retrieved 2014-11-02.
  3. ↑ "OpenCharities". Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  4. ↑ "Windlesham Arboretum project". Surrey Heath Archaeological & Heritage Trust. Retrieved 2009-08-31.

External links

Media related to Windlesham at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 51°21′18″N 0°40′21″W / 51.35500°N 0.67250°W