Castle Howard Arboretum

Across the road from the main gates of Castle Howard sits 120 acres holding more than 7,000 trees and shrubs gathered from around the world. It was created between 1975 and 1992 by George Howard and the plantsman James Russell, and it is run now by the Castle Howard Arboretum Trust as an independent charity, separate from the house. It used to be called the Yorkshire Arboretum, and the old name still turns up online. The trees are the collection, but the animal everyone talks about afterwards is the red squirrel. The arboretum runs a red squirrel breeding programme, and as of October 2026 its enclosure holds a young pair, with keeper talks twice a week from March to October. For most families that is the moment of the visit. Come in autumn for the colour, or in summer when the wildflower meadows are up.

From Tea Time Cafe at 87 Market Place, head east and south towards Malton and follow the signs for Castle Howard. Allow 35 to 40 minutes. The arboretum entrance is off the obelisk roundabout, directly opposite the main Castle Howard entrance, and parking on site is free. The postcode is YO60 7BY, which is shared with Castle Howard, so look for the arboretum's own sign at the roundabout rather than following the house traffic.

Without a car, the route is the same as for Castle Howard. Take the train from Thirsk to York, which is 16 to 23 minutes on TransPennine Express or Grand Central, then pick up the CastleLine 181 bus from York out to Castle Howard. The arboretum is across the road from where the bus drops you. It is a change of transport rather than a difficult journey, but check the 181 timetable both ways before you commit to it.

Walk the tree trails. The routes run through the woodland and the wider collection, which draws on trees and shrubs from all over the world rather than sticking to native species. Take in the wildflower meadows if the season is right. The red squirrel enclosure is the fixed point of the visit for most people, and the talks on Tuesday and Saturday mornings at 10.30, from March to October, are worth timing your arrival around.

If you can come on a Thursday, the guided tour at 1.30pm is included in the ticket and turns a pleasant walk into something you actually learn from. There is a cafe and an ice-cream stand for the middle of the visit, and a shop on the way out.

The scale of the collection is the real draw: 7,000 trees and shrubs is a serious piece of botany, and it does not feel like a park. The red squirrels are the popular highlight and the reason children come away happy. Dogs are welcome, with an off-lead area, which makes this one of the few gardens of this quality where the dog is welcome all day. The all-terrain mobility buggies on free loan are a properly useful piece of kit for anyone who cannot manage the longer trails on foot. And the position, right opposite Castle Howard, means you can make a proper day of it without another drive.

Know the price before you go. Booked online for October 2026, an adult was 14.25 with the voluntary donation or 12.75 without, so choose the rate you want at checkout. Some visitors think that is steep for a walk that many finish in an hour or two, so give yourself the full two hours and do the trails properly rather than rushing round. Children aged 4 to 15 pay too, so for two adults and three children the 35.75 family ticket is the one to look at. Aim for a Thursday if you want the guided tour, or a Tuesday or Saturday morning between March and October for the squirrel talk. See the squirrels before 3pm: the trust gives the enclosure's closing time as 3pm on one page and 4pm on another, and either way it shuts before the arboretum does. The season runs February to November only, so December and January are out. If you already hold a Castle Howard Bronze membership, the arboretum is included.