Camilla enjoys the autumn colour
THE spectacular autumn colours of Westonbirt Arboretum were given the royal seal of approval with a visit from the Duchess of Cornwall.
Camilla met representatives from Forestry England and the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum and was given a tour of the stunning nature reserve, just outside Tetbury, on Monday.
She also found out more about the arboretum’s work and activities in conservation, education and participation.
This was Camilla’s first official visit to the arboretum since opening the Biffa Award Welcome Building in 2014.
The Duchess walked along the STIHL Treetop Walkway, which opened in May 2016 and gives visitors the opportunity to discover the hidden world of the canopy. The route ascends 13 metres into the trees.
Mike Coe, CEO of the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum, said: “We were honoured today to welcome our patron HRH the Duchess of Cornwall to the arboretum.
“We took the opportunity to show her around the arboretum at one of its most beautiful times of year, and demonstrate how the charity and its members support this magnificent site, from supporting the community and learning programmes to helping to finance the purchase of Silk Wood House in 2019, which allowed the arboretum to expand for the first time in 200 years.”
Camilla was also given an insight into the arboretum’s plans for a new community shelter and met with community shelter development officer Graham Anstey, who explained the work of the arboretum’s community programme.
Since its foundation in 2014 – thanks to support from the National Heritage Lottery Fund – the programme has worked with 7,228 people from hardto-reach audiences. It enables them to visit the arboretum and enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of spending time among trees.
A new shelter that will provide a dedicated space for these groups during their visits to the arboretum has been designed by participants of the programme, overseen by architect Piers Taylor. The arboretum is now continuing to raise funds for the construction of the shelter.
The Duchess also enjoyed a look at the arboretum’s spectacular maples, forming the base for its world-famous colour display.
Curator Mark Ballard guided her through Maple Loop, one of the arboretum’s hotspots for autumn colour, which contains many beautiful examples of the arboretum’s 297 maples.
The Duchess was also taken to part of the arboretum’s ancient Silk Wood, which contains ash trees infected with chalara ash dieback.
Mr Ballard explained how Forestry England is planning to remove many infected ash trees from the arboretum over the winter to make way for new plantings of various species, helping to create a resilient woodland for the future.
Andrew Smith, director of Westonbirt Arboretum, said: “After what has been a challenging year for staff, members and visitors, it was wonderful to be able to welcome the Duchess back to the arboretum this year.
“This year has really highlighted the importance of spending time in nature to both our physical and mental wellbeing. This was a wonderful opportunity to share with the Duchess some of our plans for how we will continue to connect people with trees to improve the quality of life for many years to come.”