Batsford Arboretum and Garden Centre set to Expand

Batsford Arboretum is to expand its garden shop and garden terrace café by some 420 m². The work will begin during early November and is due to be completed by June 2022.

Stuart Priest, the operations director of the Batsford foundation, said we are actually reaching the point at certain times of the year when it has become a balancing act by having too many visitors in the existing facilities.

Batsford Arboretum Visitor Centre and Garden Centre

The new facilities are all about giving visitors a better experience whilst on site at the Arboretum, and will allow more horticultural goods to be offered for sale in the garden shop. The expansion to the café will facilitate more visitors sitting inside, especially during inclement weather. This is especially important as there are a large number of regular visitors who support the café and garden shop throughout the year without necessarily visiting the Arboretum.

The last renovation of the site has paid back well over the last 10 years or so and has given the funding basis for the expansion. This will go towards the cost of redevelopment, which is expected to be close to £1 million. Work to complete the extension will be carried out alongside the existing facilities, which will allow the garden centre and café to remain open during the works.

So if you’re planning to visit the superb Arboretum between now and next June, please bear with Stewart and his staff while they work around the expansion of this popular site just outside Moreton in the Marsh.