Posted 6 April 2018

Tremendous trees online trail

Within the grounds at Waddesdon are some tremendous trees with a captivating and rich botanical history – and we’re excited to share with you a new way to explore them.

Whether visiting in person or remotely you can now take an online walk around Waddesdon with our interactive trail. Developed to sit directly on our website you need no app or download to access this content – just a computer, smartphone or tablet and access to the internet. This new digital feature allows you to select a map or list as a starting point to explore the grounds and gardens with the familiar Google map or satellite view to help you navigate.

Try the Tremendous tree trail here >

Tree Trail landing page — The tremendous tree trail offers you a satellite map of the walking trail

Want to become a tree connoisseur? Learn the Botanic names and much more about the seasonal history and the tree’s significance to Waddesdon.

The Tree Trail's pop out gallery of images — The Tree Trail’s pop out gallery of images also provides how to say the botanic names in the information column on the left hand side

Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, who built Waddesdon Manor from 1874, created this garden from scratch. He laid it out to complement the house and enhance views of the surrounding landscape, but he was faced with an enormous task. When he bought the land from the Duke of Marlborough, it had been stripped of all its sale-able timber; it was, quite literally, a bare hill. As he said, ‘There was not a bush to be seen, or a bird to be heard.’

Waddesdon during construction in 1874 as a 'bare hill' — Waddesdon during construction in 1874

For Ferdinand, this was a wonderful opportunity. It meant that he could put what he wanted exactly where he wanted it. He was a knowledgeable horticulturalist, and, like other members of his family, conceived of a garden where exotic and unusual trees could blend with British specimens to frame and punctuate views, harmonising with the colourful bedding for which Waddesdon was famous, and groups of sculpture.