Winkworth Arboretum
Winkworth Arboretum is a hillside woodland garden owned and managed by the National Trust, situated near the village of Hascombe in Surrey, England. It is one of the finest arboreta in the south of England and is particularly celebrated for its spectacular autumn colour displays, which draw visitors from considerable distances each October and November. The arboretum covers around 95 acres of hillside and valley, containing rare trees and shrubs from across the world arranged around two tranquil lakes. Its combination of exceptional horticultural collections, natural beauty, and sweeping Surrey Hills scenery makes it one of the most rewarding woodland gardens in the country.
The arboretum owes its existence to Dr Wilfrid Fox, a dermatologist and passionate plantsman who began acquiring and planting the site in 1938. Fox had a particular passion for maples, rowans, azaleas, and other ornamental trees and shrubs, and over several decades he assembled a remarkable collection sourced from botanical expeditions and specialist nurseries. He gifted the land to the National Trust in 1952, making it one of the Trust's first significant garden acquisitions. Fox continued to advise on planting for many years thereafter, and the vision he established — a naturalistic hillside woodland with seasonal drama at its heart — remains largely intact today. His legacy is a living plant collection of genuine botanical and horticultural significance.
Walking through Winkworth in autumn is an extraordinary sensory experience. The hillside blazes with the fiery reds, oranges, and golds of Japanese maples, liquidambars, Nyssa trees, and cercidiphyllums, the last of which releases a distinctive caramel or burnt-sugar scent as its leaves fall in warm autumn days. The light filters through the canopy in long shafts during the low autumn sun, turning the lakes below into mirrors of amber and crimson. In spring, the lower slopes erupt with azaleas and bluebells, and the boathouse area beside the larger lake becomes especially pretty when reflected colour plays across the still water. Even in winter the structural beauty of the bare canopy and the layout of the land rewards a visit.
The landscape is characterised by a steep east-facing hillside dropping down to two lakes — Rowe's Flashe and the smaller lake above it — with woodland paths winding through the collection at various levels. Much of the planting is grouped for effect, so whole hillsides erupt simultaneously with matching colour. The National Trust has worked to maintain and improve the collection over the decades, adding specimens and replacing aging trees while preserving the naturalistic spirit of Fox's original design. There are also some fine examples of dawn redwoods, tulip trees, and southern beeches that have matured into genuinely impressive specimens.
The surrounding landscape is part of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the broader countryside around Hascombe and Godalming is characterised by ancient sunken lanes, hammer ponds, and rolling greensand hills. The nearby village of Godalming is about three miles to the north and provides shops, cafés and a railway station with services from London Waterloo. Hascombe village itself, with its attractive pond and church, is very close by. The arboretum sits within a network of footpaths and bridleways that allow walkers to explore the wider countryside, and the high viewpoints within the arboretum itself offer far-reaching views across the Weald.
The arboretum is accessible by car via the B2130 between Godalming and Hascombe, where a National Trust car park serves visitors. The site has no direct public transport link, making a car or bicycle the most practical means of arrival. The terrain is hilly and paths are largely natural woodland surfaces, so stout footwear is strongly recommended, particularly after rain when steep sections can become slippery. The site is not fully wheelchair accessible due to the gradients involved, though some of the lower flatter paths near the lakes are more manageable. Dogs are welcome on leads. The National Trust charges an admission fee for non-members, though the car park itself may be used for a fee.
An often-overlooked detail is that Winkworth's boathouse, which sits at the edge of the larger lake, has become something of an iconic photographic subject — particularly when surrounded by autumn reflections — and has featured in countless books and calendars about English landscapes. The arboretum also contains some remarkably early-introduced specimens of species that were then newly available in cultivation, reflecting the mid-twentieth century period of active plant hunting and introduction when Fox was acquiring material. This gives the site a quietly historic dimension: several of its trees were planted from some of the earliest seed introductions of their kind into British horticulture.