Dr Fox's Living Collection
Winkworth Arboretum exists because of one man's obsession. Dr Wilfrid Fox, a physician who retired from medicine in 1926, spent the next three decades planting trees. He started at Winkworth in 1938, clearing a steep hillside above a lake near Godalming and filling it with carefully chosen species selected for their autumn colour, spring blossom, and form.
Fox was a founding member of the Roads Beautifying Association and understood that trees could transform a landscape. At Winkworth, he planted maples, azaleas, sorbus, and ornamental cherries alongside native oaks and beeches, building a collection that now exceeds 1,000 different species of shrubs and trees. He donated 65 acres to the National Trust in 1952 and added a further 35 acres in 1957. The Trust has managed the arboretum since 1988.
Autumn and Spring
Winkworth is best known for two seasons. In autumn – typically late October to mid-November – the hillside erupts in colour. Japanese maples turn crimson and gold, the tupelo trees glow orange, and the whole display is reflected in the lake below. It is widely regarded as one of the finest autumn colour displays in England.
Spring brings its own rewards. Bluebells carpet the woodland floor in late April, followed by azaleas and magnolias through May. The arboretum sits within the Surrey Hills AONB, two miles south of Godalming, and the terrain is hilly – the paths drop steeply to the lake and climb back up through the collection. Good shoes are advisable.
