FoTF Notices

The latest FoTF newsletter (Autumn/Winter 2023) has been released, view it here

FoTF Banner

Friends of Thetford Forest (FoTF) Projects

Lynford Arboretum

Volunteers take a guided tour of Lynford Arboretum

The OED defines Arboretum as "A place devoted to the cultivation and exhibition of rare trees: a botanical tree garden".

Following the Second World War, students from the Forestry England's training school based in Lynford Hall commenced planting species, primarily of interest to commercial forestry, but also other types of trees to see how they fair in Breckland conditions. The site chosen was part of the Victorian, and earlier, parkland which surrounds the Hall. Initially the Commission's arboretum was confined between Lynford road and the old water tower, this was extended south to the lake and in the early 1980's, east to the boundary of the military training area.

Lynford Arboretum

Planting continued until the 1990's, and then in 2006 the Commission asked Friends of Thetford Forest to undertake the basic care of the arboretum. As a response to this request, in February 2007, FoTF Lynford Arboretum was formed. The group's purpose is to nurture and improve the shrub layer, plant young specimen trees and foster the tranquillity of the place. As with most things in life other things emerge; the whole area teams with wildlife and effort is now being directed to sustain and enhance this. Forestry England is also charged with assisting in the nation's efforts to counteract the affect of climate change. To this end it is looking to its arboreta for answers, though with trees this will take a lifetime or two. Lynford is the most easterly of the Commission's nine arboreta with the driest of conditions; it also has one of the least fertile soils, consequentially it is seen as ideal place to gauge the changes which may occur. Increasingly young trees are being sent to Lynford for planting out to assess their potential; these are being grown from seed collected from around the world, at the National Pinetum at Bedgebury in Kent.

Click here to load a Google Maps map showing the location of Lynford Arboretum

Lynford Arboretum Interpretation Boards

Friends of Thetford Forest Park (FoTF) helped in the acquisition of interpretation boards that were installed at Lynford Arboretum. Since 2007 FoTF Lynford Arboretum have provided basic care of the Arboretum, and this is one of the improvements the group has made to the Arboretum on the behalf of visitors.

The boards, an example of which can be viewed here, have been designed to help visitors to the Arboretum understand the:

Lynford Arboretum

In 2006 Forestry England asked the Friends of Thetford Forest to undertake the basic care of the arboretum. In February 2007 FoTF Lynford Arboretum was formed; the group's purpose is to nurture and improve the shrub layer, plant young specimen trees and foster the tranquillity of the place.

FoTF Lynford Arboretum meets on a regular basis and we invite Friends of Thetford Forest members to assist in this project. If you are interested in becoming involved with this project, (gardening on a rather grand scale), please contact FoTF by email [email protected] with FoTF Lynford Arboretum in the subject.

You can view the schedule for FoTF Lynford Arboretum here