Following the Nottingham Inclosure Act of 1845 - a visionary project to create a green network around the growing city, to provide green spaces for relaxation, contemplation, learning, exercise and clean air - the Arboretum was the first public park opened in Nottingham.
The Chinese Bell Tower Memorial
The layout and design was carried out under the supervision of Samuel Curtis, a botanist and horticultural publicist in 1850 who had previously been involved with the layout of Victoria Park in the East End of London in 1842.
The main aim of the design for Arboretum Park was to take advantage of the landscape setting whilst providing an interlinking network of walkways and socialising areas. As a result over 1010 specimen trees and shrubs were planted along with winding paths and sweeping lawns. The plantings were laid out in what is known as 'The Natural Order' to provide an educational link to nature through botanical interpretation. Today, some of the mature trees and shrubs growing here are living relics of the original collection such as the Lime Trees which were planted as nursery trees. There are currently over 800 trees of 65 species.
The layout of the park is relatively unchanged and as a result the Arboretum is Grade II listed on the Register of Historic Parks & Gardens maintained by English Heritage and contains 9 Grade II Listed structures within its layout, providing a key asset to Nottingham's Victorian Heritage.
Key features within the park include the Waverly Street Lodge and entrance, the lake, the Chinese Bell Tower, the Victorian Circular Aviary, the newly renovated Victorian Flower Garden, Dahlia & Formal garden, the North Sherwood Street entrance, the statue of Feargus O'Connor, the bust of Samuel Morley and the Bandstand, an important local feature, which was moved from the castle site in 1881.
The Arboretum continues to boast one of the premier tree collections within the County and is one of the few large green spaces within the city centre. There has been over £1 million investment since 2002, following a successful Heritage lottery bid. The Arboretum has been awarded the Green Flag in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and hopes to retain this award in the coming years.
The park opens at 8am on weekdays and 9am at weekends and Bank holidays, and closes just before it gets dark (for a full listing of times click here).
Please ensure you wedge the cache container firmly back in place.