Between Portsmouth And London Is England's Ethereal Arboretum With Scenic Wetlands, Trails, And Lake Views

Beyond the museums of London and the dockyards of Portsmouth, there is a side of England that feels a bit more like entering a magical wilderness. Head to the Surrey Hills between the two cities, and you can alight at Winkworth Arboretum, where the houses and high rises recede from view. In their place, footpaths wind along the water under a canopy of thousands of protected trees. A bit different from a botanical garden where trees are merely a backdrop, Winkworth Arboretum's main attraction is its trees — a mix of ancient woodland and deliberately planted specimens. There are other habitats and landscapes to see, too. You might cross wildflower meadows, wetlands, and a lake where the surrounding foliage shimmers on the water's surface.

Winkworth Arboretum is the only arboretum managed by the National Trust. It boasts over 1,000 unique types of trees, including flowering cherries and Japanese maples, as well as 100 Champion trees. It was established in the 1930s by Dr. Wilfrid Fox, a retired physician who was drawn to the rolling landscape of the Surrey Hills, which also happens to be one of the UK's most romantic filming locations. Already, the hillside was carpeted with woods and wildflowers, but Dr. Fox began planting more trees to enhance the landscape's beauty and seasonal color changes. As such, the arboretum is especially spectacular during spring and fall. In fall, hundreds of maples erupt in vivid colors, while liquidambars and larches flare scarlet, yellow, and purple. Springtime brings blooming magnolia trees, with splashes of bluebell and azalea blossoms. Throughout the year, you might spot roe deer roaming the woods and fungi sprouting from the forest floor.

Winkworth Arboretum is an easy day trip. It's about an hour-long journey by National Rail and a bus transfer from London. From Portsmouth, it's closer to an hour-and-a-half, also by rail and bus. When you arrive, you'll find a visitor center and parking lot, where the arboretum's trails set off from. Several waymarked paths fan out across the hillside, as opposed to following a single circuit. The shortest path, the 0.6-mile Upper Arboretum Route, is a gentle trail that takes hikers past summer and winter gardens and a magnolia grove. The longest trail, the Winkworth Route, covers over 2 miles — it hits most of the arboretum's highlights, with steep inclines to reach those scenic viewpoints. 

The Phillimore Wetlands make up what was once a lake, but after the water was drained, the National Trust actively converted the land and allowed it to redevelop naturally into a wetland habitat. A bridge made out of recycled water bottles leads visitors over the marshy grounds. Walking over the wetland, one visitor said in a YouTube video, "This area reminds me of Jurassic Park." Though for a real Jurassic landscape, you'll have to head south to England's Jurassic Coast, a fossil lover's bucket list destination.

Past the wetlands is Winkworth Arboretum's lake, a standout attraction, according to previous visitors on Google. "The walk around the lake is beautiful where you can clearly see large fish swimming," one reviewer said. There's a quaint wooden boathouse on the shore, too, where you can look out across the lake from a balcony. Visitors are invited to relax by the water's edge, but swimming is not permitted — if you're hoping to take a dip, head to Rutland Water, England's largest artificial lake and a vacation paradise.