Winkworth Arboretum
Winkworth Arboretum
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
A tranquil hillside arboretum created by Dr Wilfred Fox in the early twentieth century, now cared for by the National Trust. Open 363 days a year with stunning botanical displays all year round.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
591 reviews
Excellent
295
Very good
236
Average
41
Poor
17
Terrible
2
vistablue
Surrey, UK283 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
Always a treat to visit, but especially in autumn. The Arboretum is located on a hillside with far reaching views at the top and a man-made lake at the bottom. Due to its popularity, numbers are restricted in September/October and it's advisable to book. Plenty of benches to sit and admire the views.
Written October 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Rama R
London, UK331 contributions
Oct 2021 • Family
We visited in the last weekend of October as it came highly recommended by a nature loving friend. We are NT members but booking was still essential. We booked over a week in advance and there were lots of spaces available.
The park is simply beautiful. All around you the trees are bathed in bewitching autumn colours. There are reds and ochres, yellow and pink, lush green grass and a serene, rippling lake. It's a trip alright, an hour+ of a drive from London, but it's so worth it. I don't think there's anywhere else you'll be so happy to find these autumnal colours in full display. There are 3 trails that you can pick to walk along, or do your own thing. We picked the yellow trail, the medium challenging one that runs for 1.5 miles. It was a lovely walk alongside the lake and passes by a wooded playground for little ones. There are various types of Japanese Acers and Maples.
Everything is beautiful to look at. It was supposed to rain all through the afternoon but there was no rain at all for the time we were there. The sun shone beautifully and we could manage with just our regular jumpers. We stayed on for almost 3 hours and picked up some refreshments from the tiny tea room after waiting in a long queue.
I would highly recommend a visit, especially in the next couple of weeks, before winter finally sets in.
The park is simply beautiful. All around you the trees are bathed in bewitching autumn colours. There are reds and ochres, yellow and pink, lush green grass and a serene, rippling lake. It's a trip alright, an hour+ of a drive from London, but it's so worth it. I don't think there's anywhere else you'll be so happy to find these autumnal colours in full display. There are 3 trails that you can pick to walk along, or do your own thing. We picked the yellow trail, the medium challenging one that runs for 1.5 miles. It was a lovely walk alongside the lake and passes by a wooded playground for little ones. There are various types of Japanese Acers and Maples.
Everything is beautiful to look at. It was supposed to rain all through the afternoon but there was no rain at all for the time we were there. The sun shone beautifully and we could manage with just our regular jumpers. We stayed on for almost 3 hours and picked up some refreshments from the tiny tea room after waiting in a long queue.
I would highly recommend a visit, especially in the next couple of weeks, before winter finally sets in.
Written November 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thanks so much for your lovely review - we're really pleased that the colours and the weather worked together to make your visit enjoyable, especially after your long drive from London.
Written November 15, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
103er
Virginia Water, UK136 contributions
May 2022
We have now joined the National Trust so this was our first place to visit as members.
Lovely woodland with plenty of signposted walks some with steep climbs and narrow paths, good test for you fitness.
The bluebells were magnificent with carpets of blue under the trees
The cafe had a queue and the tables outside were well occupied but lots seem to have there own food.
The toilets need a dam good clean they smelt like you would expect after a coach load of rugby fans had visited
Lovely woodland with plenty of signposted walks some with steep climbs and narrow paths, good test for you fitness.
The bluebells were magnificent with carpets of blue under the trees
The cafe had a queue and the tables outside were well occupied but lots seem to have there own food.
The toilets need a dam good clean they smelt like you would expect after a coach load of rugby fans had visited
Written May 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sandra M
7 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
Winkworth Aboretum is a delightful place to visit. However we were very disappointed about the lack of facilities. There was a block of toilets near the front entrance, only three cubicles in the Ladies and there was always a long queue. There were only a couple of benches near the lake, not enough for visitors who would like to sit down to admire the beautiful views.
With the level of admission fee, I hope National Trust would invest and improve on the facilities at Winkworth!
With the level of admission fee, I hope National Trust would invest and improve on the facilities at Winkworth!
Written October 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
dedicatedtraveller
Bishop's Stortford, Herts, England5,992 contributions
Oct 2022
We had a wonderful sun drenched visit to Winkworth Arboretum, which was a super bonus.
The autumnal colours are stunning, especially after so many 'warnings' by so called experts, that trees had shed their leaves early due to the draught of this year.
It's easy to find the assorted paths to follow if you want to plan your walks or if, like us, you prefer to wander aimlessly it's ideal too!
We were there several hours. We'd booked on line, as requested to do, but there were 139 tickets available when I booked in the morning just before we drove there, so the arboretum was not crowded. Guess weekends are a different story.
We sat outside in really warm sunshine having a very good quality coffee, flapjack and chocolate brownie. We thought all were very reasonably priced.
Even if not a Nat Trust member, the one person who had to pay in our group - £11.00 - thought it a very fair entry price.
In short, wonderful, so colourful, tranquil place to go in autumn to do your 10 000 steps without even trying!
The autumnal colours are stunning, especially after so many 'warnings' by so called experts, that trees had shed their leaves early due to the draught of this year.
It's easy to find the assorted paths to follow if you want to plan your walks or if, like us, you prefer to wander aimlessly it's ideal too!
We were there several hours. We'd booked on line, as requested to do, but there were 139 tickets available when I booked in the morning just before we drove there, so the arboretum was not crowded. Guess weekends are a different story.
We sat outside in really warm sunshine having a very good quality coffee, flapjack and chocolate brownie. We thought all were very reasonably priced.
Even if not a Nat Trust member, the one person who had to pay in our group - £11.00 - thought it a very fair entry price.
In short, wonderful, so colourful, tranquil place to go in autumn to do your 10 000 steps without even trying!
Written October 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Fran C
Fleet, UK665 contributions
Jun 2020 • Couples
First National Trust visit since Lockdown in March. It took a while to make a booking, but if you get online at 7am on a Friday you should get a slot. Booking is easy we had an allocated time of 12:00pm. On arrival a NT staff member took our names and directed us to the car park. Normally its heaving but today it was virtually empty. Winkworth is well signposted the Arbour tea room is open with limited items but tea, coffee, sandwiches and cake plus ice cream available. No seating available apart from two tree stumps. The toilet just behind (the only ones) are one in only, bolting the main door behind you, only one cubicle out of three is open. Consequently it causes a queue if a Mum and daughters go in. Even so its good to have the facility available. Portal's would be a good idea further on. It was not too busy many families, couples young and old all abiding by social distancing. Plenty of benches about for us to shelter from the rain and have a picnic. All in all a pleasant walk, too late for the Azaleas.
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Written June 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
DebbieT738
Minster, UK169 contributions
Oct 2022
Beautiful autumn colours today and lots of possible walks including an easy walk if you aren’t into hills as there are many! Disappointing facilities though. Cafe with only one table indoors the rest are outside which is great in summer but not ideal on a chilly day. Good selection of food and the coffee was good. Toilets in a ramshackle building and nowhere near enough cubicles. There was a long queue for the ladies as always! By far the worst aspect was the car park. There had been rain the day before our visit which made the parking and roadway a sea of mud and huge puddles. Impossible to negotiate without getting wet, muddy feet. With the amount the National Trust charge you’d think they could do something about this!
Written October 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Avatar 42
Hong Kong, China192 contributions
Nov 2020
A sort of recommendation after watching Gardeners World. Pros: pleasant view of a lake, relaxing, lovely and vivid autumn colours on a few trees. Cons: Car park is a mud fest and so is much of the paths. Not suitable for pushchairs etc., some paths are quite steep and can be slippery when wet. Nothing much for kids. Only some trees labelled. £10 is expensive for what it is, literally just a dozen trees in autumnal colours, takes about 1-2 hours to walk around. As a comparison, went to visit Richmond Park, that's free, better managed woodland, bigger, much easier to walk about with more facilities. Wisley down the road is around £15/£16, which is outstanding when you know what you get. Box Hill not too far, about the same walking experience and again free.
Written November 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Terry W
Bracknell, UK1,399 contributions
Oct 2020
The people that run this should be given awards, very friendly and informative.
The car park is not cratered with potholes as David P’ recent review suggests.
It is the outdoors, it it rains, the ground will be wet. This is a big plus to the trees and visitors. Staff giving that answer are just being honest.
It’s not expensive to enter given how long you can stay there and as David is a member, it’s even cheaper when you consider you can go as often as you like to this and other properties. Non members it’s just £10 for an adult, £5 for a child of £25 for a family.
That said, what a wonderful area to go to. Three walks for all abilities. The Blue route that is 1km that is an Access Route. The yellow route is approximately 1.6k and the red route is called a challenging route that is approximately 3.6k. Something for everyone.
The colours are simply wonderful at this time of the year which makes the visit even more special.
The car park is not cratered with potholes as David P’ recent review suggests.
It is the outdoors, it it rains, the ground will be wet. This is a big plus to the trees and visitors. Staff giving that answer are just being honest.
It’s not expensive to enter given how long you can stay there and as David is a member, it’s even cheaper when you consider you can go as often as you like to this and other properties. Non members it’s just £10 for an adult, £5 for a child of £25 for a family.
That said, what a wonderful area to go to. Three walks for all abilities. The Blue route that is 1km that is an Access Route. The yellow route is approximately 1.6k and the red route is called a challenging route that is approximately 3.6k. Something for everyone.
The colours are simply wonderful at this time of the year which makes the visit even more special.
Written October 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Cliff J
London, UK2,128 contributions
May 2021
The Daffodils have just about finished, the Bluebells are at their magnificent best and the Rhododendrons and Azaleas are just coming out; a wonderful experience at this National Trust property just south of Godalming in the wonderful Surrey countryside. Due to Covid-19 you still have to pre-book to visit the Arboretum. There are three main walks - all colour coded and well signposted; Blue at 1 km; Yellow at 1.6 kms and Red at 3.6 kms as well as many other paths. You enter the Arboretum at the top and walk down into the bowl, it's quite steep going down and of course, you have to walk back up again! There is plenty of seating along the various paths to rest up and enjoy the views across the lake and hillside opposite. Lots of ducks and geese in and around the lake and several ducklings and goslings are around at this time of year. Refreshments are available at the cafe located near the entrance/car park.
Written May 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
mrshussain2018
Ascot, UK2 contributions
Can we have a barbecue there?
Ian Whitaker
Godalming, UK686 contributions
I am sure that you may not .... and there are no facilities for doing so ... there is a Cafe that is operated by the Trust .. just before you pay to enter the grounds ... it does sausage rolls, cakes, sandwiches etc
Is there archery at Winkworth ?
Ian Whitaker
Godalming, UK686 contributions
Not that I have ever seen it on my many visits
surreychad
Dorking6 contributions
Can we bring the dig?
adventuroushare
Kettering, UK115 contributions
The dig or the dog?...yes, dogs can go there!! You can't do an archaeological dig tho'!!!
Samuel An
London, England, United Kingdom33 contributions
Hi all,
How long roughly it takes to walk to Lake from the car park ? Is it good for disabled people ? (taking my friend there who can't walk for long)
Paul C
Horsham, UK364 contributions
That's a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question, without a reference to the speed of walking. I remember it as about 500m, so less than 5 minutes walking for me walking quickly or 10 minutes at a dawdle looking at things, but probably 15 minutes or more for someone less able. The lake is down a hill, which you need to climb back to the car park, so maybe that might be an issue for you, either up or down. The surface was pretty good for stout shoes even in mid winter, so no need for wellies or walking boots. But it isn't a tarmac path to wear high heels on!
There are a few benches dotted about, so may well be good to ask about them before starting off, so you could pause part of the way.
The lake is certainly worth a visit if you can though. Beautiful, but get there when there are not lots of screaming children running about under less than considerate parenting supervision, which spoils the peace and tranquility.
tuffers2015
Hampshire, UK1 contribution
Are there any play areas for young grandchildren?
L Watts
402 contributions
An update for 2018! There is a super playground for children.
Bluejenn
Bognor Regis, UK10 contributions
Hi, Can I walk the public footpath in the arboretum without paying an entry fee?
FelixStowe10
Cuckfield, UK40 contributions
All public footpaths should allow free access even when they pass through payable attractions. But if you enter on that basis you cannot deviate off the path.
Sarah P
Surrey, UK9 contributions
is this a good place for 2 mums with pushchairs?
FelixStowe10
Cuckfield, UK40 contributions
It depends on how adventurous you wish to be. From memory there is a relatively large flat area at the start. In theory you can probably access a number of the more hilly paths, although some have steps which would be more awkward. There is a cafe near the car park which is another plus point. So go, ideally during term time and enjoy the wildlife and plants.
Winkworth Arboretum (Godalming) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Winkworth Arboretum
- Winkworth Arboretum is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Hotels near Winkworth Arboretum:
- (6.59 mi) Rookery Nook B&B Shere
- (1.91 mi) The Merry Harriers
- (7.77 mi) The Barn at Roundhurst
- (6.36 mi) Hurtwood Hotel Bed & Breakfast
- (2.01 mi) Kings Arms and Royal Hotel
- Restaurants near Winkworth Arboretum:
- (0.00 mi) Arbor Tea Room
- (2.41 mi) The Charterhouse Pub
- (1.96 mi) Acorn Restaurant
- (3.08 mi) The Red Lion Inn
- (2.02 mi) Piazza Firenze