Trails at Queenswood

The Gruffalo Trail features six, larger-than-life sculptures of characters from the ever-popular books created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler: Mouse, Fox, Snake, Owl, the Gruffalo and the Gruffalo's Child. A quiz activity sheet is available to purchase from the Queenswood gift shop, and includes a trail map, pencil and small prize on completion.

• The trail is open all year-round.
• The trail is aimed predominantly at children aged 2 to 6 years but is great fun for all the family.
• The trail is less than 1.5 km long so manageable for little legs.
• The trail is suitable for pushchairs and buggies.

We are currently offering a range of Quiz activity sheets, available from the Visitor Centre. The answers to all the Quiz questions can be found along the trail. 

The Deer Trail skirts around the edge of the arboretum, taking you through the Redwood Grove and beech plantation which is carpeted with bluebells in spring and also explores much of the North and South Woods.

The North Wood has a very different character to the other areas of Queenswood. The steep slopes have deep clay soils and the lower levels of sunlight mean it is cooler with areas of permanently damp or wet ground. The North Wood is part of the Dinmore Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) as it is Semi-Natural Ancient Woodland with an important and diverse ground flora including Herb-Paris.

The South Wood is on a steeply sloping hill which leads down to the old coach road; once the main route over Dinmore Hill and rife with highwaymen! Oak is the dominant tree in this section of the Country Park, which is also a SSSI, but other species such as Small-leaved lime and wild Service trees are indicators that this is a semi-natural ancient woodland. This area is home to a rich variety of wildlife including fallow deer, dormice, warblers and woodpeckers and are managed to provide a varied habitat that meets the needs of the different species.

Please note! This route includes several very steep sections of path that may be muddy and quite slippery in wet weather and a short section along the private road. 

The trail is approximately 2.5 miles (1hr 15 mins) long. Please wear waterproof footwear with good grip and keep dogs on a lead.

The Badger Trail is an easy walk of approximately 1 mile in length which takes you around the well-surfaced paths of the arboretum and allows you to experience:

• Lime Avenue
• The Autumn Garden
• Cottrell’s Folly
• Oak Avenue

• The Viewpoint
• The Summer Garden
• Sovereign Walk

It takes you past flowering cherries in the spring and some exotic conifers as well as the Redwood Grove.

The Badger Trail does follow the gentle uphill slope of Lime Avenue at the start (which may be preferable to the short steep slope from the viewpoint if you followed the route in reverse).

Alternatively, for a very gentle walk avoiding a steep slope, you could follow the Badger Trail along Sovereign Walk to the viewpoint and return the same way.

As the colour of the leaves starts to change why not download and follow the Early Autumn Tree Trail?

Please note that different trees change colour at different rates each year, but the trees listed in the leaflet below are usually the first to start.

Follow the Late Autumn Tree Trail later in the season for details of the most spectacular species at Queenswood Arboretum.

Please note not all trees will display in exactly the same way each year, but the trees listed in the leaflet below are usually the first to start.

The trail begins in the red phone box at the Queenswood Visitor Centre before taking visitors on a journey through the Arboretum.

At each audio point visitors will find a wind-up audio device recessed into a beautiful oak monolith. Each audio device has been programmed with eight tracks of including poetry, people’s stories of their visits to Queenswood, historical information about the site, bird song and a dedicated children’s trail.

The Visitor Centre can provide a map of the trail.

This trail will lead you around Queenswood Arboretum to find nine of Queenswood’s 148 Champion trees