The B2079 is closed near Goudhurst until 4 October. Please follow diversion signs via A21 to Bedgebury.

Visitor information

Come and explore our wonderful world of trees

Bedgebury is an award winning visitor attraction with something for everyone. Open all year, Bedgebury is the perfect place for healthy outdoor activity.

The National Pinetum is home to a world-leading collection of conifers and contains over 12,000 specimen trees. The trees and landscape create a beautiful setting for peaceful walks and picnics in the rolling hills and valleys of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Bedgebury National Pinetum is awe-inspiring for tree lovers looking to learn about tree species of international conservation importance and see them up close!

Learn more

Bedgebury Forest  has miles of trails for family cycling and mountain-biking, walking, and running. Enjoy climbing, jumping, sliding and swinging on the Play Trail with a range of play areas for different ages or explore the canopy on a Go Ape tree top adventure or tree top challengeThe Bedgebury cafe at the visitor centre has wonderful views of the pinetum and is set beside one of many lakes. You may also find Gruffalo and friends hiding at Bedgebury Pinetum!

At a glance

Our toilets are undergoing essential maintenance. Temporary facilities are available at the back of the cafe. Please follow signage.
21/03/2023 12:19
27/06/2022 12:31
Bedgebury National Pinetum - Marshal's lake autumn colour

Conifers at Bedgebury National Pinetum

Our special tree collection includes conifers from around the world and is breathtaking in its size and grandeur. Bedgebury is important on a global scale for species conservation, scientific advancement and the understanding of conifers. You can search our living library of trees using the interactive Pinetum Explorer map.

What's on

Earth Photo shortlisted work - photo of man creating a fire on a boat on a lake
Forest event
7 July - 13 October
Earth Photo, the international competition and exhibition created by Forestry England and the Royal Geographical Society showcases photographs that document the natural world, its breathtaking beauty, and its ever-growing fragility.
Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest runners Nice Work race
Forest event
Sunday 29 October
9am
Choose your distance and enjoy the views. Our half marathon and 10K race is a wonderful opportunity to run in nature.
A young boy and his mother peer intently at a beautiful red leaf in autumn.
Family activity
23 September - 17 November
9.30am - 4.30pm
Dive into the wonders of autumn in the worlds largest conifer collection with our free autumn colour activity sheet, a fun and educational way to immerse yourself in the season's beauty.
Forest event
Friday 17 November - Sunday 31 December 2023
Selected evenings
Time slots vary by date

A magical trail with new lights for 2023 – an after-dark stroll through an iconic, illuminated tree collection

Firmly positioned as unmissable within the UK’s seasonal calendar, Christmas at Bedgebury has everything you need for an unforgettable time with friends and family, including a magical glimpse of Father Christmas along the way. Discover softly-lit doves delicately balanced on branches, reed-like neon structures, sparkling tunnels of light and the Pinetum filled with all the colours of the rainbow as you walk under Liquid Sky, just one of the new displays to see this year. 

Grab a seasonal snack from the Bedgebury café at the visitor centre or one of the hand-picked street food vendors who bring an indulgent twist to tempting treats on offer. Complete your walk under the stars with a perfectly festive *spiced winter warmer, *hot chocolate or *toasted marshmallow and share it with someone special.

Your very merriest Christmas starts here. Limited capacity with timed entry.  Book now to secure the date and time of your choice. 

*separate charges apply

Dates

Friday 17 - Sunday 19 November Friday 24 - Sunday 26 November Wednesday 29 November - Sunday 10 December Tuesday 12 - Sunday 24 December  Tuesday 26 - Sunday 31 December 

Trail entry time slots

To avoid overcrowding and ensure the enjoyment of all visitors on the illuminated trail you will need to select a time slot during the booking stage.

Time slots vary depending on the date, but generally take place every 15 minutes between 4.15pm to 8pm. Please ensure you arrive at the trail entrance promptly for your allocated start time. Advanced booking is essential. 

Prices

Tickets are priced according to the date and time slot as peak, standard and off peak. Please select the time slot you wish to book and the relevant prices will be shown. Peak, off peak and standard times vary by date. Off-peak tends to apply to mid-week and later timeslots. Peak pricing tends to apply to weekend, closer to Christmas and earlier timeslots.  

Admission ticket type  Peak Standard  Off peak Adult £24 £21.50 £19 Child (3-16 years old) £17 £14.50 £13 Infant (0-2 years old) Free* Free* Free* Family (2 adults, 2 children) £79 £69 £61 Personal assistant Free* Free* Free*

 *there is no charge for infant or personal assistant entry but they must be booked in conjunction with a full price ticket.

All orders subject to £2.50 transaction fee.

Parking

There is a charge for parking at this special event. If you plan on arriving by car, a parking space must be purchased in advance along with your trail entry tickets online.  

Parking costs £8 per car. Accessible spaces for Blue Badge holders are available in the Visitor Centre car park. We are offering Bedgebury and National Forestry England Members one free parking space, this must be booked in advance, see below for details. 

Offer for Bedgebury & National Forestry England Members

We are offering all Bedgebury and National Forestry England Members one free parking space, when booked in advance. Make sure that you are logged in to your membership account and purchase an ‘adult trail entry' and 'parking’ ticket, our booking system will automatically change the price to a trail only ticket at checkout and allocate your free parking space.   

Please note, this is only available when booking tickets via Forestry England and not available in conjunction with any other offer. 

Relaxed Session

This session is for adults and young people, with additional needs, who would love to experience Christmas at Bedgebury without the usual high volumes of people. For Christmas at Bedgebury 2023, this will be held at 4pm on Wednesday 6 December.

More information & book 'Relaxed Session'

 

Ride Tokens

We will have two traditional fairground rides for children:

Swing boats (age restriction of 2-12 years old)

Children's toy ride (Maximum height restriction of 1.3m)

Ride Tokens are an add-on product and should only be purchased by trail ticket holders. We advise you to only pre-purchase if the age and/or height requirements are met as stated above.

Each token is priced at £2.50 and is sold in multiples of 2. Single tokens will also be available to purchase on the night on-site. 

Buy Ride Tokens

Food and drink

Holding coffee

Bedgebury cafe

Open daily from 8:30am, the cafe at the Visitor Centre serves a wide range of tasty, locally sourced food as well as Fairtrade tea and coffee. Look out for the Shipwreck cafe at the start of the Play Trail next to the Go Ape Cabin where you can pick up snacks and ice creams during weekends and holidays.

Going for a sensory walk helps you get outside, be active and connect with nature.

Choose from two Sensory Walks at Bedgebury:

The short loop is 0.8 miles. The surface is over various flat hard surfaces made of compacted gravel and suitable for wheelchairs. The long loop is 1.6 miles. The surface is over various flat hard surfaces made of compacted gravel and suitable for wheelchairs.

 

Before you visit, you may wish to download the Making Walks Sensory toolkit produced by Sense which contains advice on planning walks and some suggested sensory activities. It’s the perfect companion for a sensory walk!

You can access all the Sensory Walks by downloading the free OS Maps app. To find out more about the OS Maps app, discover more Sensory Walks across England, and to download the Making Walks Sensory toolkit visit the Sense website.

View the short loop.

View the long loop.

Get ready to join Zog on his latest forest adventure with a brand-new family activity trail and free app!

How does it work?

1. Download the new ‘Zog: A Forest Adventure’ app before you visit

Point the brand new app at special markers along the trail and access all sorts of exciting challenges as you go.

Thanks to amazing augmented reality technology, you’ll be able to collect golden stars, just like Zog and have the chance to take a photo with everyone’s favourite dragon at the end of the trail!

Capture the fun by saving videos and photos as you complete the bonus activities!

Get it on Google Play     Get it on the App Store

2. Get your claws on a Zog trail activity pack 

Grab the Zog trail activity pack for £4 from the forest information point.

Inside you’ll find: 

kraft bag to colour in. 

dragon wings to decorate and wear. 

Zog glasses. 

stickers. 

trail leaflet. 

pencil and crayon. 

3. Follow the trail

Collect golden stars as your little dragons learn how they can help care for the forest, and how the forests can care for them.  

Share your Zog fun using the #ZogTrail hashtag.

Zog © 2010 & TM Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler. Licensed by Magic Light Pictures Ltd.

Your findings will help us protect and provide habitats, now and in the future. Whether you're a seasoned naturalist or enthusiast amateur, it's easy to take part.

Start recording ... Download the free iNaturalist app before you visit  In the app join the project Bedgebury Pinetum and Forest Find Discover and record wildlife through the app on your next visit

Download now on iOS

Download now on Android

iNaturalist is an independent third party application. Please check their full privacy policy and terms of service before signing up You can create records without having 4G or Wi-Fi in the forest. Download our full user guide and top tips

Click here for facilities and access information. 

Our cycle trails offer something for everyone, from beginners and families looking for a fun day out, to adrenalin junkies looking for a challenge.

Follow our 9km family cycle trail using shared use forest road or 13km of single-track for mountain-biking, there's lots to explore around this 2000 acre forest.

We welcome all 'electrically assisted pedal cycles’ (EAPCs) but any electric bike that does not meet the EAPC guidelines along with motocross bikes, quads and scooters are not permitted.

Our work

A view across a lake with lilypads, a bridge and scarlet red autumn colour

Our work

Bedgebury National Pinetum is home to the largest conifer collection in the world and is important on a global scale for species conservation, scientific advancement and the understanding of conifers. Open all year round, Bedgebury is awe-inspiring for tree lovers as well as a beautiful setting for peaceful walks, and picnics around the rolling hills, valleys, and lakes.

Our history

A bench surrounded by trees and a view across a valley

Our history

Discover Bedgebury's history and learn about the first curator and world-renowned expert on conifers, William Dallimore who developed the internationally important collection of conifers and stunning vistas we see today. Established in 1925, Bedgebury Pinetum is the result of a partnership between the Forestry Commission and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Membership invitation - click to find out more about membership
Volunteer with us invitation - click to discover volunteer opportunities across England