Founded by Major William Spowers, who still lives here, the site was once Frommow's Nursery. The estate contains a strange mixture of follies, monuments, bridges, lakes and even a private chapel! Bisected by the Windle Brook, which feeds the lakes and ponds, the Arboretum also contains thousands of mature and rare trees. But all is not quite what it seems.... look closely at the ancient architecture and you will see that much of it only dates from the 1980's or early 90's. Major Spowers is something of a modern-day romantic visionary and conservationist it seems. Take your time to stroll around the estate, as you will discover a surprise around every corner! Wander through avenues of unusual firs or do a bit of heron spotting on one of the lakes. Be warned: there is at least one group of resident bees in hives on the estate, so keep an eye out and make sure your pooch does not get too close. Do remember this private estate and you must keep to the regulations posted by the Trustees.

Off road car parking is available but to Friends of Windlesham Arboretum Charitable Trust only. You can become a Friend, by contacting The Estate Office, Old House Farm, Broadway Road, Windlesham, Surrey, GU20 6BX. An annual fee of £25 is charged.

In the 1980's an archeological survey of the Arboretum showed there to be signs of previous Iron Age enclosure ditches and Romano-British agricultural buildings on the site. During the excavations pieces of pottery, a gold plated half stater coin (one of a few surviving coins from the reign of the Celtic king Addedomaros), and large quantities of slag (a by-product of iron smelting) were discovered.

St George's Chapel in the Arboretum was allegedly built as a "protest" against women being ordained as priests! It contains a rather unusual church organ, whose case was the Chair case at the Brunswick Chapel in Leeds.

The Arboretum has several large houses within the grounds. If you fancy living there you will have to have deep pockets, one recently came on the market for rent at £4000 per month!

You may even get to do a bit of A- list celebrity spotting while you are here. Both Brian Blessed, who is local, and Kenneth Branagh, have been seen exercising dogs here, and ex-Queen guitarist Brian May lives around the corner.