Tortworth Forest Centre-The History..

Tortworth Forest Centre CIC is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, founded in 2015, which manages and restores Tortworth Arboretum, part of the Grade II* listed Tortworth Court Park and Garden in South Gloucestershire — currently on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register. Structural planting began in 1853 under Henry John Moreton, 3rd Earl of Ducie, working with his head gardener Thomas Shingles, and drew on species from the Americas, Asia and the Mediterranean. Over 170 years later, the collection contains 26 champion trees and 14 further remarkable trees, some predating the Earl's planting and connected to the 18th century deer park.

Following the break-up of the wider Tortworth estate and decades without a dedicated custodian responsible for its stewardship, the arboretum became overgrown and inaccessible. In 2014, a team of local volunteers began restoration, later evolving into Tortworth Forest Centre CIC. Since then, we have cleared invasive species, mapped and begun re-labeling the tree collection, and gradually reopened the arboretum to the public. The arboretum remains entirely off-grid, with no mains water supply, which is placing unsustainable strain on our resources and increasingly shapes how we plan and care for new and existing planting. On a recent visit, the International Dendrology Society described Tortworth as “wildly enchanting”. The labyrinth of paths designed by the 3rd Earl and our regenerative approach to woodland management creates a sense of magic in the arboretum that captures many people’s hearts and leaves a lasting impression.