You are here > Westonbirt Project > Westonbirt Estate Reunited

• The Westonbirt Project
• Project Partners
• Westonbirt Estate Reunited
• Latest news
• FAQs Westonbirt project

Reuniting the historic Westonbirt Estate

The Westonbirt Project’s vision includes opening up the house and gardens of the Westonbirt estate to visitors to the arboretum; giving visitors the chance to experience the whole of founder Robert Holford’s heritage.

For two trial days in April, visitors to Westonbirt, the National Arboretum were given this chance to explore the 150-year legacy of the estate.

Tours around the house and free access to the gardens, combined with activities and demonstrations at the arboretum, gave a taster of the Westonbirt Project’s plans to reconnect the links between the arboretum, house and garden. The response from visitors was extremely positive:

‘Fascinating history of the use of the house’

Westonbirt house and gardens have been designated a Grade I listed building and landscape by English Heritage for the quality of design, masonry, interior fittings, decorative detail, collection of trees and its significant place in history.

The tours around the estate’s grand house, which has operated as Westonbirt School since 1927, showed visitors how it was constructed to showcase Holford’s passion for architecture and eye for pioneering design.

‘Visiting the house and gardens really put the arboretum into context.’

Holford committed much time and effort in developing the Victorian pleasure gardens and the design of the arboretum.

He was fascinated by the Victorian fashion for plant collecting and financed expeditions to fill both sides of his estate with rare and beautiful specimens from around the world. This passion was the basis for building his arboretum.

Visitors on the open days could explore how conservation and tree management work undertaken to preserve the arboretum’s rare and exotic tree collection. Over at Westonbirt house visitors also explored the history and intricacy of the planting undertaken in the Victorian pleasure gardens.

‘The best thing was the guide.’

Volunteers will be a central part of delivering activities in the future and were key to the success of the April tours. The guides and support volunteers received great feedback and were commended for their enthusiasm, knowledge and professionalism.

Volunteering will be an important part of delivering the Westonbirt Project’s activities plan and the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum will be able to take on many more volunteers as the project progresses.

Current volunteers have already been involved in activities trials for the Westonbirt Project working with community and social groups. To find out more about volunteering,  visit the future of volunteering at Westonbirt.

‘I didn’t realise how much there would be to see. Great to hear plans for restoration’

It is anticipated that the public will soon be able to enjoy the whole estate all year round, with the success of a Heritage Lottery Funding application and through delivering the ambitions of the Westonbirt Project. Find out more about the partnership involved in delivering the plans by visiting the project partners .