Benmore Botanic Garden
A giant sequoia avenue planted c. 1865, with over 100 trees lining the approach to the garden. Recorded specimens exceed 50 metres in height.
Among the Redwoods
Britain and Northern Ireland contain thousands of planted giant sequoias, coast redwoods, and dawn redwoods across public parks, country estates, and churchyards. 81 places on the map. Each record provides coordinates, access status, and botanical provenance.
Featured places
Leighton Hall Sequoia Grove
A coast redwood grove planted by John Naylor from 1857; the Naylor Pinetum also contains giant sequoias. Managed by the Royal Forestry Society.
Rhinefield Ornamental Drive
A double avenue of coast redwoods and giant sequoias planted in 1859. Specimens exceed 40 metres alongside the Ornamental Drive in the New Forest.
Choose your way in
Find a redwood near you
One-time location or town search to locate recorded trees near your journey.
Free to visit
Places recorded as open to the public without an entry ticket.
Compare the three redwoods
Field identification characteristics for giant sequoia, coast redwood, and dawn redwood.
Curated collections
Places organized by access rules, geographic nation, species, and historic plantings.
Plan a route or region
Suggested multi-stop itineraries and county-level clusters.
Evidence & methodology
Data verification standards, confidence tiers, and citizen contribution review.
Species on the map · places to see each (many hold more than one)
Explore by species
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Giant sequoia
Sequoiadendron giganteum: the largest tree by volume on Earth. Widely planted in Victorian country estates, public parks, and churchyards.
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Coast redwood
Sequoia sempervirens: the world's tallest tree species. Grows particularly well in high-rainfall western valleys and maritime climates.
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Dawn redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides: deciduous conifer known only from fossils until living trees were found in China in the 1940s.
Background · Victorian planting
Why redwoods in Britain?
Coast redwoods reached Britain by 1843, followed by giant sequoias in 1853. The Victorian enthusiasm for planting both species across estates, botanic gardens, and churchyards was extraordinary.
By the 1860s, hundreds of estates, botanic gardens, parks, and cemeteries had planted redwoods. Many of those trees are still standing today — over 160 years old and still growing.
Britain's mild, wet climate suits redwoods surprisingly well. In parts of Scotland and Wales, coast redwoods now top 50 metres and are growing faster than many native species.
Curated collections
Learn
Species ID, planting history, and how we treat sources on the map.
Visiting responsibly
Root Protection
Redwood root systems are shallow and fragile. Stay on designated paths where provided and avoid compacting the soil directly beneath the drip-line of mature trees.
Leave No Trace
Take all litter home, keep dogs on leads in sensitive arboreta, and refrain from carving or stripping bark. Giant sequoia bark is thick and spongy but easily damaged by vandalism.
Check Access Before You Travel
Not all redwoods are in public parks. Some stand on private estates, churchyards, or restricted grounds. Every record in our guide notes access status so you can plan appropriately.
Open mapping project · seeking partners
About the Project
Among the Redwoods is an independent public mapping project for redwood places across Britain and Northern Ireland. We are building the public record and actively seeking partners, volunteers, and field contributors.
Every published record carries a confidence label, coordinates where we have them, and sources when available. We separate what is noticed online from what has been checked on the ground.
Found a new stand, a forgotten Victorian avenue, or fresher measurements? Contribute directly from the field.
Field instrumentation · Native Swift iOS
Among the Redwoods for iPhone
Cellular coverage frequently drops beneath dense conifer canopies and in remote estate pinetums. Among the Redwoods for iPhone stores the full British and Northern Irish registry on-device for reliable offline navigation.
Navigate with a live 360° compass rose pointing directly to recorded tree coordinates, confirm trunk alignment with gentle haptics, calculate trunk diameter at breast height (DBH) in the field, and queue contributions locally until reception returns.
Citizen science · field contributions
Help keep the map honest
The map improves when people on the ground share what they see. No account needed — submit from the field and track review on your receipt page.
- Report a sighting or correction from the field
- Share photos and access updates after a visit
- Get a receipt link when your contribution is reviewed
Contribute
Submit from the field — no account needed. You get a receipt link when your report is reviewed.
Contribute to the map