I love a day trip somewhere new, especially when it involves giant, out of the ordinary trees and gardens to view! We booked our tickets beforehand, and set off for Arley Arboretum. The arboretum is west of Kidderminster and best of all they allow dogs, so we took Indy with us too.
Exploring Arley
Arley Arboretum comprises of lots of different areas for the public to wander around. As we walked in there was a beautiful tea room, Italian Garden with fountain, green houses, walled garden, and orchard. We went in July, so lots of flowers were out and it was full of greenery and colour.
When we got there, we were given a paper map, which included locations of all the historic trees. The map was so handy, we could find the really interesting trees and identify them.
Below on the left, Indy and I are stood in front of a Crimean Pine. On the right, is a squirrel’s view of a Giant Redwood that was planted in 1860!
Views from Arley Arboretum
Toward the end of the grounds was a beautiful view over the valley, we even spotted a train in the distance. There was also a tree that had been drastically cut back (pictured below) I’m not sure why it had been cut back so much, possibly disease? The views were spectacular.
There were so many different types of trees to view. I’m developing a keen interest in trees and this place by far has been my favourite collection of trees.
Arley Arboretum even has it’s own fairy village for children to play in. There was so much attention to detail, with little figures, windows, doors with hinges and even little roofs on each fairy house. There must have been at least a half dozen houses. If you’re visiting with children, this part of the arboretum is a must.
There were so many flowers to admire and enjoy. I suspect they keep the bees and pollinators very happy at Arley.
Final thoughts
Arley Arboretum is a fantastic place to spend whether you have an interest in trees or are just looking for a nice day out.