Westonbirt, The National Arboretum

One of the great days out in Gloucestershire, Westonbirt Arboretum near Tetbury is a wonderful place to visit with children in any season. From giant redwoods to magnolias, there are 15,000 shrubs and trees from temperate climates all over the world.

So take the family to discover several national collections and 17 miles of paths! Children will be fascinated by the champion trees, all qualifying by being the tallest or by having the largest trunk girth.

There are approximately 125 species of maples alone, contributing to the spectacular display of colour every autumn. Just pick up a guide map for the season when you visit and find out what’s looking particularly good at that time of the year.

Activities for families include trails with lots of natural play features to discover along the way – allow plenty of time! For instance, preschool children will love the Exploratree play area packed with hands-on activities encouraging families to find out about trees.

Finally, the year-round programme of special events includes kids activities in school holidays, Treefest over August Bank Holiday weekend and ’Christmas at Westonbirt’ with illuminated trail route and festive activities at weekends from late November.

Admission charges vary during the year.

Please see Forestry England’s website to find out more before travelling.