Coast redwood opens the North American arboretum, with a grove of dawn redwoods beyond, in this wooded university garden on the edge of Durham. Ticketed.
Draft summary compiled from listed sources — not field-verified.
Was reliable once; now aging — verify before you travel.
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Before you go
- Access
- Ticketed access
- Last checked
- 20 Jun 2026
- Access note
- Paid admission (adult £4); open most days 10:00-16:30 (to 16:00 Nov-Feb)
Access can change with seasons, opening hours, and estate rules. Seen a change?
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Canopy Weather Safety
High Winds Advisory
Avoid standing beneath mature conifer crowns during storms or high winds. Follow site closure notices and move to clear ground if canopy branches are moving heavily.
Bark Photography
Low-Angle Light
Low-angle morning and late-afternoon sunlight reveals rich fibrous bark texture and distinctive red coloration.
Estate Approach
EasyRoads Route Check
Estate roads often feature narrow single-track lanes and low overhanging boughs. Verify vehicle clearance before setting off.
In the Forest
Tree Radar for iPhone
Designed for use when cellular reception is weak or unavailable. Directional compass points directly toward recorded tree coordinates under dense canopy.
Redwood species here
Best in autumn: the dawn redwood is deciduous, and its foliage turns a foxy copper-red before falling — often the finest time to visit.
Photos
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Credit: Ken Walton / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Evidence
Aging record
Was reliable once; now aging — verify before you travel.
Read how records are checked →- Sources
- 4
- Photos
- 1
- Species
- 2
About this place
Compiled from the listed sources below — not a first-hand account.
Durham University Botanic Garden sits in around 25 acres of mature woodland on the southern edge of Durham city. Its North American Arboretum opens with a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), and a little further on the science trail passes a grove of dawn redwoods (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), the deciduous Chinese conifer once known only from fossils. Paid entry.