Looking for the best places near London for spectacular leaf peeping this autumn? National Trust Winkworth Arborteum in Godalming, Surrey is the perfect place with acres of woodland to explore. In this post, I’ll share photos of the autumn colours at Winkworth Arboretum and details about visiting for an autumn day out in Surrey.
With fantastic vantage points to take in the vibrant fall foliage, Winkworth Arboretum is one of the most picturesque places for an autumn walk in Surrey. Read on for more about the history of National Trust Winkworth Arboretum and what to see in autumn.
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National Trust Winkworth Arboretum Surrey
Located in Godalming, Winkworth Arboretum is a wooded valley with an award-winning collection of over 1,000 different shrubs and trees planted by Dr. Wilfrid Fox, who had a vision and passion to “paint a picture” with the scenic landscape.
The result is the perfect place for a crisp autumn walk with around 100 acres of woodland bursting with vibrant reds, golds and orange foliage, two lakes with a boathouse and several viewpoints overlooking the rolling Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
A dermatologist at two London hospitals, Dr. Wilfred Fox lived near this picturesque woodland area in Godalming, Surrey. Passionate about trees as a hobby, he founded the Roads Beautifying Association in 1928 to promote ornamental tree planting.
In 1937, the land on which Winkworth Arboretum now stands, at the time a neglected corner of farmland, went up for sale. Dr. Fox snapped up the land and founded the arboretum.
Dr. Fox carefully selected over 1,000 species of shrubs and trees, chosen for their colour, rarity and beauty. His collection would go on to win awards and prizes from the Royal Horticultural Society, including the Victoria Medal Honour, the RHS’s highest honor.
In 1952, Dr. Fox donated 62 acres of the arboretum to the National Trust and chaired the committee until his death ten years later. The National Trust has since procured the remaining 35 acres of Winkworth Arboretum Surrey.
Through his hard work and passion, Dr. Wilfrid Fox has created a landscape of fantastic natural beauty to be appreciated and enjoyed for many years to come.
Days Out at Winkworth Arboretum
Winkworth Arboretum is well known for its gorgeous yellow, orange and red foliage in autumn and stunning bluebell carpets in the spring.
There are three suggested routes of varying levels of difficulty for autumn walks at Winkworth Arboretum. Click the image below for a larger version of the Winkworth Arboretum map.
There are three walking trails at Winkworth Arboretum. The blue trail, Access for All, is an approx 1 km level walk that follows a step-free path around the top of Winkworth Arboretum.
The yellow walking trail, Taste of Winkworth, is a longer walk at approx 1.6 km that takes in the key features at Winkworth Arboretum. There are some steep paths and steps to manage along the way, and you will be rewarded with beautiful views out across the lake.
Featuring many steep slopes, the challenging trail, the Red Route, is approx 3.6 km and explores the entire arboretum.
Autumn Colours at Winkworth Arboretum
The recommended autumn walking route, Autumnal Amble, is typically posted at the Winkworth Arboretum entrance this time of year. The Autumnal Amble takes about 2 hours and takes you through 10 of the most colourful corners of Winkworth Arboretum.
The Autumnal Amble includes steep slopes and starts at the Owl Bench on the Blue Route, where you can take in the view of the valley and admire the red oaks from North America nearby.
Hundreds of maple trees are bursting with bright colour in September and October at Winkworth Arboretum.
Look for the Japanese maple groves that can be found below Sorbus Hill, by the Azalea Steps, and in the bowls.
For the best views in autumn at Winkworth Arboretum, seek out the viewpoints on the edge of the Magnolia Wood, the top of the Azalea Steps, the lakehouse Boathouse and the eastern Meadow.
Another highlight of visiting in autumn at Winkworth Arboretum is the chance of capturing images of the spectacular fungi amongst the trees. Look out for the small, delicate, toadstool-like mushrooms or the huge bracket fungi clinging to the bark of trees.
Some fungi can be extremely poisonous, so please do not pick or touch the fungi.
Winkworth Arboretum Natural Play Area
One of the highlights of visiting a National Trust site is that many offer family-friendly activities and excellent natural play areas. Not far from the entrance, tucked away in the wooded area, there is a great playground at Winkworth Arboretum.
The Winkworth Tree Adventure is a fun treehouse for children of all ages, which is made up of two multi layered platforms that are connected with a rope bridge and rope tunnel.
The brilliant natural play area at Winkworth Arboretum was designed by a local scout group. The structures were built using sustainable British oak and robinia.
Features include a chunky branch den, a natural climbing frame, wobbly bridge, balance beam, rope bridge and more to form a varied and adventurous trail.
What’s On at Winkworth Arboretum
Sarah the Spider Half-Term Trail
19 October – 3 November 2024
Help Sarah the Spider find her boots the mischevious mice have hidden in this fun-filled, free autumn trail based on the children’s book.
Follow the trail across Winkworth Arboretum and find 8 activity stations themed around friendship and a very friendly spider who loves to dance.
Read more details about October half-term at Winkworth Arboretum
Find more inspiration for autumn days out in our London October half-term activities post.
National Trust Winkworth Arboretum Surrey
Address: Hascombe Road, Godalming, Surrey GU8 4AD
Opening Hours: Opens at 10am and closing time varies during the year. 1 April to 31 October: closes at 5pm. Rest of the year closes at 4pm or at dusk if earlier, last entry one hour before closing time. Closed 24 and 25 December.
Tickets: from £13 for adults, £6.50 for children aged 5 and up. Entry free for National Trust members and under 5’s. Pre-booking is not required.
Parking: Free. Due to the construction of a new visitor centre at Winkworth Arboretum, there is reduced parking capacity. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment especially at weekends and holidays.
Food and Drink: The small Arbor tea-room is open daily from 10am. The tea-room serves hot and cold beverages, freshly baked goodies, light lunches and kid’s picnic boxes. Only outdoor seating available. Toilets can be found just after the entrance kiosk.
Make sure to pick up a map at the entrance. There are several trails marked on the map showing level of difficulty and access available. There are plenty of picnic spots and park benches throughout the area, including some with great viewpoints.
Pin for Later – Autumn Colours at Winkworth Arboretum Surrey
This post was updated on 22 September 2024 with more photos and up to date information for visiting to see the autumn colours at Winkworth Arboretum.
