Lesnes Abbey Tree Walk through the Arboretum

Event Information

With almost one hundred different varieties of tree, the parkland at Lesnes Abbey Woods contains some of the most interesting trees in the world.

In this new walk we will focus on the area known as the arboretum which was specifically planted with a selection of rare native trees as well as globally sourced exotics.

You will find out all about the trees: where they come from, what makes them unique and how they have impacted our world. As the seasons change, so do the trees.

This is a relatively easy walk on mown and unmown grass with gentle slopes that starts from the paved area outside Chestnut's Kiosk. It lasts for about 90 minutes.

By the end of this walk we hope that you will see trees in a new way.

What to wear

Wear shoes suitable for walking on roughly mown grass with worn patches. We will never be more than 5 to 10 minutes from the Lodge, but there is no shelter at Lesnes Abbey Woods so bring rainwear if rain is predicted. If the weather is especially bad or windy we may have to modify or cancel the walk for safety reasons.

This map of the arboretum shows where the various trees can be found. There are more in other areas of the park! The arboretum was once part of Lesnes Abbey and then became a farm with a barn and orchards on the site. After the second world war the area was planted with the trees we see today, although some mature ones were kept like the grand old Norway maple below. The new trees were chosen for their interesting features like their bark.

Event Info

Please arrive five minutes before the walk at the paved area outside Chestnut's coffee kiosk at the Lodge at Lesnes Abbey Woods park. Location in Google Maps 

Organisation

Lesnes Abbey Woods and the Arboretum

Lesnes Abbey Woods are an ancient woodland in South East London that are just a ten minute walk from Abbey Wood Station at the end of the Elizabeth Line. As well as the woodland, there are also the ruins of a twelfth century abbey and park land that has been planted with an arboretum of interesting trees from within Britain and across the world. This walk is around the arboretum, but you can also take the opportunity to explore the woods and the abbey ruins.