Harcourt Arboretum
Encyclopedia
Harcourt Arboretum is an arboretum
owned and run by the University of Oxford
. It is a satellite of the university's botanic garden
in the city of Oxford
, England
. The arboretum itself is located six miles (10 km) south of Oxford on the A4074 road, near the village of Nuneham Courtenay
in Oxfordshire
, and comprises some 150 acre (0.607029 km²).
The arboretum forms an integral part of the tree and plant collection of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden. It occupies part of what were the grounds of Nuneham House
, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the house itself. It was designed to form an impressive entrance to the landscaped grounds of the house.
William Sawrey Gilpin
(1762–1843), the artist and later landscape designer, laid out the pinetum, which forms the core of the arboretum. The trees are now mature, with giant redwoods and monkey-puzzle
trees.
The grounds include a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) typical English woodland and a 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) summer flowering meadow.
In late spring, the azalea
s and rhododendron
s are especially impressive. There are carpets of bluebell
s in the woods too. In the autumn, the leaf colours are brilliant, including Japanese maples. Peacocks roam the grounds, as they have since the establishment of the arboretum. In recent years, paths have been improved for accessibility.
The grounds are open to the public at a charge.
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
owned and run by the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. It is a satellite of the university's botanic garden
University of Oxford Botanic Garden
The University of Oxford Botanic Garden is an historic botanic garden in Oxford, England. It is the oldest botanic garden in Great Britain and one of the oldest scientific gardens in the world. The garden was founded in 1621 as a physic garden growing plants for medicinal research. Today it...
in the city of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The arboretum itself is located six miles (10 km) south of Oxford on the A4074 road, near the village of Nuneham Courtenay
Nuneham Courtenay
Nuneham Courtenay is a village and civil parish about southeast of Oxford.-Manor:The toponym evolved from Newenham. In the 14th century the village belonged to the Courtenay family and in 1764 "Newenham" was changed to "Nuneham"....
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, and comprises some 150 acre (0.607029 km²).
The arboretum forms an integral part of the tree and plant collection of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden. It occupies part of what were the grounds of Nuneham House
Nuneham House
Nuneham House is a Palladian villa, at Nuneham Courtenay in Oxfordshire England. It was built for Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt in 1756. It is owned by Oxford University and is currently used as a retreat centre by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University...
, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the house itself. It was designed to form an impressive entrance to the landscaped grounds of the house.
William Sawrey Gilpin
William Sawrey Gilpin
William Sawrey Gilpin was an English artist, drawing master and, in later life, landscape designer.Gilpin was the son of the animal painter Sawrey Gilpin. He attended the school of his uncle, William Gilpin, at Cheam in Surrey...
(1762–1843), the artist and later landscape designer, laid out the pinetum, which forms the core of the arboretum. The trees are now mature, with giant redwoods and monkey-puzzle
Araucaria araucana
Araucaria araucana is an evergreen tree growing to tall with a trunk diameter. The tree is native to central and southern Chile, western Argentina and south Brazil. Araucaria araucana is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria...
trees.
The grounds include a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) typical English woodland and a 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) summer flowering meadow.
In late spring, the azalea
Azalea
Azaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Pentanthera and Tsutsuji . Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks...
s and rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s are especially impressive. There are carpets of bluebell
Common Bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scripta, commonly known as the common bluebell, is a spring-flowering bulbous perennial plant. -Taxonomy:...
s in the woods too. In the autumn, the leaf colours are brilliant, including Japanese maples. Peacocks roam the grounds, as they have since the establishment of the arboretum. In recent years, paths have been improved for accessibility.
The grounds are open to the public at a charge.
See also
- Arboretum d'HarcourtArboretum d'HarcourtThe Arboretum d'Harcourt is a historic arboretum located on the grounds of the 14th-century Château d'Harcourt in Harcourt, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France....
in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... - Timothy WalkerTimothy Walker (botanist)Timothy Walker is a British botanist. He has been the Horti Praefectus of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum since 1988....
, Horti Praefectus (Director) of the Oxford Botanic Garden and the Harcourt Arboretum since 1988
External links
- Harcourt Arboretum information from the University of Oxford Botanical Garden
- Harcourt Arboretum information from the University of Oxford Museum Education