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Barnwood Park & Arboretum​

Located in the Barnwood ward, this 6 hectare Green Flag awarded open space is a fantastic asset to the City.

  • Green Flag Award site
  • Friends of Barnwood Arboretum
  • Tree trail and beautifully carved tree trunk
  • Old chapel now used as weightlifting gym
  • Footbridge over Wotton Brook leads to the Arboretum
  • Arboretum trees
  • Pond, ducks, wildlife and grazing animals
  • Large dry balancing pond for informal play
  • Pedestrian access from Church Lane, Cherston Court and Newstead Road
  • Bus route 8 runs along Metz Way/Abbeymead Ave and route 10 along Barnwood Road

The current Park and Arboretum are the remainder of the Barnwood House Estate. The main house was demolished in 2001.

A small footbridge over the brook connects the park to the arboretum where you can follow the tree trail and see some fine and rare trees. Walking around the arboretum you'll come across a wildlife pond and in summer you may see Dexter cattle grazing and after, through to late autumn/early winter, you may see sheep grazing.

The dry balancing pond is predominantly a flood storage area but is also used for informal play where a single set of Rugby World Cup 2015 posts were installed to celebrate Gloucester being a host City for the Rugby World Cup in 2015.

The east end of the dry balancing pond is very often wet and the grass is left to grow longer in this location in order to improve wildlife habitat.

Ducks, moorhens and on occasions a kingfisher can be seen along the brook line.

The Friends of Barnwood Arboretum assist in maintaining the open space to a very high standard, which has resulted in the park and arboretum receiving a Green Flag Award for a number of years. ​

Barnwood Park and Arboretum Management Plan 2015-2018​ (PDF, 3.5 MB)