The Garden Group organised a coach trip to Westonbirt, The National Arboretum in late October 2025, in order to enjoy the autumn display of colours.  Thirty eight people booked a place but unfortunately four people were unable to come on the day.

The arboretum is in Gloucestershire, England, about 3 miles southwest of the town of Tetbury. Managed by Forestry England, it is perhaps the most important and widely known arboretum in the United Kingdom.  Although there was some drizzle when we arrived, after a visit to the Kitchen for a coffee the weather improved and we enjoyed a mild, dry late morning and afternoon.

We divided into small groups which occasionally met each other with exclamations of delight at the leaf colours, the variety of trees and discussions about the map and where we were.  We found the Acer Glade in the Old Arboretum with wonderful reds and oranges and some amazing tree shapes and bark textures.

We also walked across the Treetop Walk into Silk Wood, an ancient woodland that has existed for over 2,000 years.  Some of us we walked about 6 or 7 miles but with many stops to admire the trees, their labels and other information.  Others were happy to take more leisurely walks. We had enough time to manage a late lunch snack before we had to leave.  A very enjoyable visit.