Batsford Arboretum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Batsford Arboretum |
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Japanese bridge over rill at Batsford Arboretum
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| Type | Arboretum |
| Location | Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh |
| Area | 55 acres (22 ha) |
| Operated by | Batsford Foundation |
Batsford Arboretum is a special garden in Gloucestershire, England. It is like a big park filled with many different trees and plants. This amazing place covers about 55 acres, which is roughly the size of 40 football fields! A charity called the Batsford Foundation takes care of it. You can visit it almost every day of the year.
The arboretum is located on a hillside known as the Cotswold scarp. It is home to about 2,900 trees! You can see many beautiful Japanese maples, magnolias, and pine trees here. Batsford Arboretum also has a very important collection of Japanese Flowering Cherry trees. This collection is part of a national plan to protect special plants.
Contents
Discovering Batsford's Past
The story of Batsford Arboretum begins a long time ago.
How the Garden Started
In 1886, a man named Algernon Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale became the owner of the Batsford Park estate. He had traveled a lot in Asia, especially in China and Japan. These trips gave him ideas for the garden. He wanted to create a "wild" landscape that looked natural, just like the gardens he saw in Asia.
A Famous Family's Home
Algernon Freeman-Mitford passed away in 1916. His son, David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, then took over the estate. David was the father of the famous Mitford sisters. These sisters were well-known writers and personalities. They lived at Batsford during World War I. One of the sisters, Nancy Mitford, even wrote about her time at Batsford in her novel Love in a Cold Climate.
New Owners and Growth
In 1919, the estate was sold to Gilbert Wills, 1st Baron Dulverton. He was part of the family that owned the big tobacco company, W.D. & H.O. Wills. His wife, Victoria, loved the garden and helped it grow even more. She added many special trees to the collection.
After World War II, the arboretum was not looked after very well for a while. But in 1956, (Frederick) Anthony Hamilton Wills, 2nd Baron Dulverton, took charge. He worked hard to bring the arboretum back to life. He added more plants and made Batsford famous around the world. To make sure the arboretum would always be there for people to enjoy, he gave Batsford Park to a charity in 1984.
Today, most of the Batsford Estate is still privately owned by the family.
Where to Find Batsford Arboretum
Batsford Arboretum is located near Moreton-in-Marsh. You can find it using the Ordnance Survey map reference SP 187339.
Images for kids
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The Japanese Rest house in 1917
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Gilbert Wills, 1st Baron Dulverton
