The Arboretum, Nottingham


Arboretum is a residential area of the City of Nottingham in the county of Nottinghamshire, England. The arboretum from which the neighbourhood takes its name was the first designated public park in Nottingham selected under the authority of the Inclosure Act 1845. The botanist and horticultural publisher Samuel Curtis oversaw the design of the park, on 11 May 1852, the park was officially opened. The park was opened by the Mayor of Nottingham, the lace manufacturer Mr W Felkin, and the Sheriff of the Borough of Nottingham, a Mr Ball, in front of a crowd of 30,000 people.
The park was designed as a botanical collection, in the "natural order", and as a tranquil place in which to relax, forming a major attraction in the heart of Victorian Nottingham. The Arboretum has become one of Nottingham's 'green lungs' and is a Green Flag-winning park. It is the city's oldest public park and also the closest park to the city centre. The park currently still contains more than 800 trees belonging to 65 species.
There have been many functions held at The Arboretum including the annual Nottingham Pride festival.
English Heritage has designated the site Grade II status on the Register of Historic Parks & Gardens and the park's Bell Tower, bandstand and Circular Aviary have all received Grade II listing protection.
'Arboretum' was also the name of a ward in the City of Nottingham until 2019, when it was merged with the Hyson Green ward to form the Hyson Green and Arboretum ward. At the time of the 2011 census, the former Arboretum ward had a population of 13,321.