Discover Winkworth Arboretum’s new visitor centre and family summer adventures

Winkworth Arboretum is welcoming visitors this summer with a brand-new visitor centre and café, alongside family-friendly activities including a Pokémon trail, Summer of Play and hands-on craft sessions.

A visit to Winkworth Arboretum is even more rewarding this summer as the National Trust beauty spot near Godalming unveils its impressive new visitor centre alongside a packed programme of family-friendly activities.

Home to more than 1,000 species of trees and shrubs, Winkworth Arboretum is the National Trust’s only arboretum. Created by Dr Wilfrid Fox in 1937 as a landscape designed to celebrate seasonal colour, it is renowned for its spectacular spring blooms and breathtaking autumn displays.

Now visitors can begin their day in a brand-new entrance building featuring a bright and spacious café, visitor reception, National Trust shop and modern accessible facilities, including a Changing Places toilet.

The café serves seasonal food and drinks, with plenty of indoor seating as well as an outdoor terrace overlooking the surrounding landscape. A newly relocated pay-and-display car park, complete with electric vehicle charging points, has also been introduced to improve access and support more sustainable travel.

Designed to complement its woodland setting, the new building takes inspiration from Winkworth’s iconic boathouse and founder Dr Fox’s philosophy of “painting with trees”. Clad in larch that will naturally weather over time, it blends into the landscape while large picture windows frame views across the arboretum.

Rhona MacCallum, National Trust General Manager, said: “Seeing the building open is a hugely rewarding moment for our team. We’re proud to now offer facilities that feel worthy of the beauty of our arboretum. We hope visitors feel the spirit of Winkworth reflected in this space – welcoming, thoughtful and rooted in the landscape. Every visit, whether enjoying the café or shopping with us, directly supports the care of Winkworth Arboretum.”

Families can also make the most of Summer of Play, with a dedicated play field filled with activities designed to inspire imagination and outdoor adventure. Young Pokémon fans can follow the Pokémon Trading Card Game Mega Evolution Trail, searching the gardens for Mega Evolution Pokémon while completing challenges along the way.

Children can also get creative at the weekly Wild Craft Gazebo sessions, making friendship bracelets, felt puppets, seed pizzas for birds and more, with activities priced at £3 per craft.

Summer of Play and the Pokémon trail are included with normal admission and are free for National Trust members.

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