England,Scotland, Gardens & Trees
 

We are planning to fly into London in August or September 2006, rent a car, and head north to Scotland.

Hoping to have at least 16 days, maybe 21.

We would like to plan our overnight stops along the way to visit any Gardens, Arboretums, or Estates where people have noticed wonderful big old trees.

I have been reading messages on the Fodors Forums for a few years now, I am amazed at the wealth of information! I couldn't stand it any longer I had to register and post! Hope you can help out, I realize it's a rather unusual "topic."

Thanks
Canajoharie

sites you might find useful when thinking about an itinery are

The National Trust:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/

and it's scottish counterpart:

http://www.nts.org.uk

English Heritage

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/

and the scots version:

http://www.snh.org.uk/

Historic Scotland:

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/

Hope that helps.

Hi
So many places I don't really know where to start to reply! Are you planning to visit old houses/stately homes/castles etc, or is it purely the old trees you are interested in? Also do you have any idea of a route, or will you be guided by the suggestions you receive on here?
Welcome by the way - I am sure you will get loads of useful info.
Sherwood Forest immediately springs to mind (Robin Hood!!) where there is the Major Oak - 800-1000 years old!www.eyemead.com/majorgal.htm
Clumber Park close by also has many lovely trees.
I bet the Woodland Trust could help you if you contacted them.
ww.woodland-trust.org.uk
Kew Gardens has several old trees within its precincts.
Also there is a 'new' garden in Northumberland called the Alnwick Garden, and I certainly wouldn't want you to miss this because of it's newness. Have a look at www.alnwickgarden.co.uk
The National Trust also has many beautiful gardens in its care (it's symbol is an oak leaf). Have a look at
ww.woodland-trust.org.uk
Hope this gets you started!
M

Those are all good websites, but if you are a tree fan, you could go to http://www.tree-register.org/

The Tree Register of the British Isles

Enter the site and click on Tree Collections on the right.
It lists notable tree collections by county

Soz - fouled up my websites. The Woodland Trust is
www.woodland-trust.org.uk
and the National Trust is
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
M

We loved Westonbirt Arboretum. It is just a short drive north of Bath. The trees were magnificent and each one is identified. We were there in August several years ago. An entire day could be spent there but we only had a few hours. Hidcote Manor Gardens in the Cotswolds is worth a visit also.

For a unique garden in London, can I suggest the Chelsea Physic Garden?

It really is a secret graden but the opening hours are very specific.

http://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk for more.

Wow, I went to take a shower and already there are replies!

Thanks for all the wonderful websites I am sure they will be a wealth of information.

We do love visiting old houses/stately homes/castles etc, although sometimes we spend so much time with the trees we never make it into the houses!

The trees don't have to be at an estate or garden, we enjoy old forests and natural areas also. ( we visited Olympic Peninsula in WA to see old growth forests and trees this past summer)

Cemetaries and Churches sometimes also have wonderful trees, and would be in the itinerary. About the only places we are not interested in are cities. We love back roads and small towns and villages.

Westonbirt Arboretum is on my list as a "must see." At the moment thinking of staying near there the first two nights ( take a nap when we get in!) The next day at Westonbirt, the following day maybe see Cardiff Castle and then head north. Possibly Bodnant Gardens, and Chatsworth was recommended by one of my clients.

We don't have a set route yet, our eventual plan is to end up in the western Highlands and Isle of Skye. Lakes District sounds lovely too.

I'm even wondering how much more expensive it would be to fly home from Glasgow and leave the rental car there. Probably a bad idea.

As we all know, narrowing down the choices so one doesn't try to cram too much in is the problem!

Thanks!
Canajoharie

http://www.perthshirebigtreecountry....ex.asp?check=2

:-)

British churches almost always have a yew tree in the graveyard (it goes back to pagan times, but we carry on with it). The tree will be as old as the church, and given that a lot of old churches are built on pre-christian sites often quite a lot older. There are plenty of 1,000 year old yews around.

The New forest, despite it’s name, has some of the oldest trees around – mainly oaks. It was William the Conquerors hunting park – hence “New” forest. It’s 950 years old, but we still think of it as new.

The Perthshire big tree site caroline put up is a must. They have very cleverly marketed their area on its close links with the development of commercial forestry in Scotland, so for example you can see some of the first larch trees ever planted here. Near Dunkeld is a Douglas Fir that's a candidate for the tallest tree in the UK (though this is disputed). Fortingall is a long way from anywhere but has a yew tree that's about 3,000 years old. A better looking specimen though much younger is in Balbirnie Park in Fife, close to the Balbirnie House Hotel - so close that when they extended the hotel the council made them change the plans so the tree didn't get damaged.
You won't see many big trees in the west highlands but you should still make time to go there.

I had been planning on heading up the west coast of Scotland, but it looks as though when we leave the Lakes District if we head northeast and go up the east coast we can take A1 towards and past Edinburgh and visit some of "Perthshire Big Tree Country" before heading to the Highlands. What an awesome web site, I had never seen or heard of that one!

Unfortunately we will not get south of London to The New Forest, and won't be in London for the Chelsea Physic Garden or Kew. Someday we will do a completely gardens tour in southern England as I know there are hundreds in that area.

We are hoping to meet relatives and/or friends in the Highlands and Isle of Skye, so trees won't be as important when we are there. (besides, no one can really stand to be with the two of us when we are looking at trees, even our closest friends and relatives get a little bored after hours and days of trees!)

Sherwood Forest and that unbelievable Oak are now on my list. Checking out Clumber Park.

One has to admits the Fodor's Forums are amazing. In the past one paid a travel agent who didn't know half of what the people on this site know!

Nini and others, any suggestions as where to stay the first night near Westonbirt Arboretum. Tetbury?

We love B&B's, small hotels, good food, nice atmosphere, history.

Any other charming towns in the area that people have visited?

Thanks!
Canajoharie

You've got a few months to visit these sites for ideas:

http://www.britainexpress.com/Where_...s/Gardens8.htm

www.gardenvisit.com

If you can work it into your itinerary, I suggest you visit Stourhead, west of Salisbury. Westonbirt is definitely a must for you. Also worth a visit on your way north is Sudeley Castle and Gardens, NE of Cheltenham.

I would try to drop your rental and return from Glasgow. Any extra cost, if any, should be minimal and compensated for the savings in cost and time by not having to drive back to London.

In the Cotswolds, apart from Westonbirt there is Batsford Arboretum, not far from Moreton-in-Marsh. Lovely in the Autumn, but August/September is a bit early for all the fabulous colours you get later on in the season.

Places to stay, off the top of my head, in Tetbury are the Close Hotel, the White Hart, the Hare and Hounds, Petty France at Badminton. Plus many others in surrounding villages. Try googling something like 'hotels tetbury' and see what comes up. Also have a look at a map because there are so many places in Gloucestershire with great hotels and places to stay from B&Bs to 4* luxury all-the-way hotels.

David mentions yew trees in churchyards. Well, at Painswick in the Cotswolds between Bath and Cheltenham there are supposedly 99 yew trees in the churchyard - well, no-one has ever been able to count them accurately....

At Hope Bagot (a tiny hamlet near Ludlow in Shropshire) there is an enchanting church in a wildflower graveyard, but HUGE yew trees well over 1000 years old - it used to have a leper colony and they walked to church between this great avenue of yew trees...

And as for gardens in England - there are so many that until you refine your search it will be hard for us to help you....

There is a marvellous book about giant and spectacular trees in the UK, a huge coffee table book, but I cannot remember its name, and a quick amazon search hasn't brought it up, but I will try to locate it over the next week (busy working a lot of the time) and will post back..

Oh, absolutely check out Jervaulx Abbey. It has a wonderfully gnarled tree (looks like three arms braided together), delightful ruined abbey stones and nature taking over. Here are some pictures I took:

http://www.greendragonartist.com/Sal...GnarlyTree.htm

http://www.greendragonartist.com/Sal...hreeGraces.htm

http://www.greendragonartist.com/Sal...deJervaulx.htm


http://www.greendragonartist.com/Sal...sRevisited.htm


http://www.greendragonartist.com/Sal...tingStones.htm

Hi
Glad you are going to see the Sherwood Oak. Clumber isn't that far away, and has the longest line of lime trees in Europe along its approach avenue. It's a National Trust location so more details about Clumber can be found on the NT website.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
In North Yorkshire (where I live) there is also Thorp Perrow Arboretum
www.thorpperrow.com
For places to stay once you have established your general route, have a glance at www.sawdays.co.uk
They aren't the cheapest of places to stay, but the ones I have used have been excellent. If you use the map facility it gives you the location of places to stay for "garden lovers" which might appeal to you!

Am I the only one that was disapointed by Kew Gardens?

It was nice, but I didn't think it lived up to the hype.

Keith

If you are planning on visiting more than a few National Trust properties in England and scotland, you might consider joining the Royal Oak Foundation, the American branch of the National Trust. Family membership is $75.00 and in addition to free entry to over 300 properties, you receive a lovely magazine and various guides.

http://www.royal-oak.org/

The book I was thinking of is

Meetings With Remarkable Trees by Thomas Pakenham

Available on amazon, now in paperback.

Searching for the title on amazon I also came across another book which looks fascinating

The Heritage Trees: Britain and Northern Ireland by Jon Stokes, Donald Rodger and Archie Miles.

Have a great trip.

Happy New Year all!

Batsford Arboretum looks relatively close to Westonbirt, about an hour?

I have the Meetings With Remarkable Trees book, in fact I heard the author speak at a symposium a few years ago. If I ever win the lottery I will travel the world to see all the big trees in the world!

Thorpe Perrow Arboretum? "During the early summer of 2004, 67 trees within the Arboretum were recorded and designated as "Champion Trees" by The Tree Register of the British Isles." Looks like it's the perfect stop after Sherwood Forest!

After Westonbirt and Batsford I was going to head towards Cardiff, but now I am leaning towards driving through the Wye Valley area or over to the midcoast to head north. Any opinions?

Canajoharie

Another idea - if you are going to go to Thorp Perrow it would be a shame to miss one of North Yorkshire's greatest attractions - Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Gardens (World Heritage site). Loads of ancient trees around the Abbey, in the water gardens and in the Deer Park (which dates back to medieval times).
www.fountainsabbey.org.uk
You will also be in easy reach of Castle Howard. If you look at www.castlehoward.co.uk and follow the link on the left to Kew at Castle Howard, you may find this interesting.
M

Thank you Morgana!

I have emailed Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Gardens to find out more about thier trees, it looks like a possibility.

I need to look more at the website for Kew at Castle Howard, it looks like some of it is a new arboretum, but some of it is old?

Canajoharie

North of Edinburgh, and before you get to Blairgowrie, you might like to stop for a few minutes and admire the Meikleour Beech Hedge (120 feet tall and 580 yards long!)...supposedly the longest hedge in Great Britain. It's *really* tall and longer than you an imagine. When we stopped there a couple of years ago, we looked through the dense foliage and could see the trunks of the beech trees, including the initials carved on the trees.

We also enjoyed some of the trees at Scone Palace, including the oldest Douglas Fir in GB.

While we're clearly not as fascinated by trees as you are, we have managed to note some magnificent ones during our travels.

Traquair House (south of Edinburgh), Crathes Castle (fabulous garden, including trees; up east of Braemar), Fortingall (the oldest yew tree in GB - I haven't actually been there yet - maybe this year!), etc., etc.

You've posed an interesting question - I'll look forward to reading other replies.

Gayle

Thanks Gayle!

It's quite a coincidence, you must have been sending out telepathic messages!

Last night I was highlighting areas in a book 'Drive Around Scotland' as because of an earlier post about Perthshire Big Tree Country I changed our tentative route to head north to pass through this area on our way to the Highlands and Skye. I highlighted Glamis Castle, The Dunkeld Larches, the Cathedral ( one of the original Larches from 1738 supposedly is still there) Scone Palace and the Meikleour Hedge. So it's wonderful to see this morning your support of these places!

I've known of Crathes Castle and haven't decided yes or no yet depending upon time, and will check up on Traquair House and Fortingall, thank you!

Anyone have any suggestions as the best base for this area? Dunkeld? I'd like a small charming town or village or B&B or hotel.

Let me know if you remember any other magnificent trees!

Canajoharie

In 1998 we drove up from the Lake Country, turned toward Edinburgh, went through the Highlands and flew out of Glasgow. We felt the time we saved by not driving back to London was well spent in Scotland. However, now we realize we want to go back someday to see the 'other coast'. However, the websites you've been given are great. You will see beautiful things you'll remember forever. If you are adept at boating at all, rent one of the little 2 person boats on Lake Windermere.

There are some fantastic gardens in Scotland, even apart from the great tree places thet have been mentioned.

Apart from all the open all year round places, there are a lot of gardens which only open one or two times a year for charity, and you can find their details on

www.gardensofscotland.org

Again, apart from the Perthshire scheme, you might get some good information about places to visit from this

http://www.treefestscotland.org.uk/t.../heritagetrees

The Fir at Ardkinglas was the tallest tree in Scotland when we visited it in our honeymoon. It's been demoted since but teh garden is still pretty fantastic.

You must also visit some of Scotland's native pine forest. Depending on your route, you could go to either the Deeside forest at Balmoral or Glentanar, the Speyside forest at Abernethy or Rothiemurchus, or the Affric Forest in Glen Affric or Glen Cannich.

In the area round Dunkeld, good places to stay would include the meikelour hotel, just a few miles from the hedge, the Atholl Arms in Dunkeld, and the Moulin in Pitlochry; oh, and the Fortingall hotel itself is nice.

Crathes is nice, but it's a better garden than arboretum, and Scotland's gardens are past their best by that time of year.

When you've decided your route, I'll fill in some gardens on it for you.

Thanks everybody!

As many people do, we have decided that there is no way we can do this whole trip! There is way too much to see!

So....we are only doing Scotland this time, saving Wales and England for another trip.

At the moment I have our "Scotland Garden & Tree" routes in two large loops. One north of Edinburg, incorporating Perthshire Big Tree Country (THANK YOU!) and some other recommended sites such as Scone Palace, Stirling Castle, Kenmore, Blair Castle, the Meikleour Beech Hedge, Dunkeld, one of the old Pine Forests, and maybe Cluny House Gardens. Would love to stay at Ardeonaig House for a 2 or 3 nights if not too difficult to use as a base. I'd love other recommendations also.

Our second "Loop" will be in the Argyll area, found this great website: http://www.gardens-of-argyll.co.uk/

Haven't figured out a base there yet, Inveraray, Tarbert, Dunoon? Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks again for all your help, I copy comments and paste in my "Travel" folder. Only problem is, I now have so much information that I have had to create a separate "Scotland" folder!

Canajoharie

Here's a few suggestions for the North and North West of Scotland-

Balmacara Estate and Lochalsh Woodland Garden
Inverewe Garden
www.nts.org.uk

Cawdor Castle garden and grounds -
www.cawdorcastle.com

Armadale Castle, Skye
www.clandonald.com

Two thoughts to add to the many splendid suggestions.

The river banks at Durham have marvellous trees, dominated by the finest cathedral in Europe and a castle.

Drummond Castle near Crieff. Wonderful symmetrical gardens with lovely trees approached by an endless, almost claustrophobically narrow avenue on the way in.

I must put my voice in for the SW of Scotland. The Logan Garden on the Mull of Galloway should be one of your stops, although it may not work into your itinerary.

Oh well, keep this link for future reference.

http://www.rbge.org.uk/rbge/web/visiting/lbg.jsp

On your way up to Scotland visit Alnwick Castle... now famous as part of Harry Potter filming, but with gardens which are very pretty.