Derby Arboretum

A successful hosiery manufacturer and well-known public figure, he instigated initiatives that were specifically designed to “reform the working classes from their brutish and debasing pleasures to an appreciation of the arts and nature.”

Unperturbed by warnings of dire consequences, Strutt threw open part of his mansion to Derby’s inhabitants at weekends and on public holidays. Exposed to the civilising accoutrements of wealth, no doubt some visitors to the so-called ‘museum’ returned to their poorer dwellings harbouring aspirations directed at improving their prospects through enlightenment.

Motivated by a desire to boost the social mobility of Derby’s residents, Joseph Strutt decided that a public park should be established within walking distance of the smoke-begrimed town centre. 7.5 acres of his land at Rose Hill were donated for the purpose.

John Claudius Loudon – the esteemed plantsman who introduced the term ‘arboretum’ to describe a garden composed largely of trees collected for the purposes of scientific study – was instructed to base the park’s design on woody species.

Designed by the Scottish landscaper John Claudius Loudon, Derby Arboretum has provided the city’s citizens with a recreational learning zone for almost two hundred years. Considered to be England’s first urban public park, the recently restored facility is recognised as a Grade II landscape in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens.

J.C. Loudon (1783–1843) was a remarkable man who had risen to the top of his profession despite enduring chronic arthritis and the amputation of his right arm. A lowland Scot and a shrewd ‘son of the soil’, he had studied botany and agriculture at Edinburgh University. Returning to Lanarkshire at the time when the centuries-old run-rig system of farming was declining in favour of enclosures, he grasped the opportunity to design farms and quickly acquired merit. But like many an ambitious and intrepid young man, a desire to experience pastures new eventually prompted Loudon to exchange rural existence for the challenge of life as a city planner in London.

John Claudius Loudon and his wife, Jane Webb – a noted authoress whose futuristic novels thrilled her otherwise down-to-earth husband – were eventually to be recognised as the foremost horticulturalists of their day.  The couple’s success came about gradually however, as Loudon’s concept of garden design was the opposite of accepted fashion. A dedicated botanist who had explored much of Europe and the Near East, rather than copying natural forms, he based his unique Gardenesque style on abstract shapes and the planting of exotic species. 

When planning Derby Arboretum, Loudon used winding pathways and hillocks to enhance its size and add interest. The raised areas were originally planted with over 800 different species of hardy trees and shrubs from across the known world.  J.C. insisted no two species of tree or shrub should be the same and that the plants be arranged in their family groups. Plant sources included the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens.

When J.C. Loudon compiled an illustrated catalogue relating to the arboretum, he created an important historical document. The meticulous landscaper not only listed all the trees and shrubs present, he also provided the reader with information concerning each plant’s origins, its botanical interest and growth pattern.  He even included tree-related verse. Visitors were able to buy a copy of the catalogue for a shilling.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra). One of Derby Arboretum’s original specimens, it has been suggested that this is its most handsome tree. Black Walnut has been grown in the UK for 350 years but it is rarely seen in public parks.

Arboretum was completed in 1840 and gifted to the town. Within a few years, the attraction had been enhanced by an ornamental fountain and playing fields that housed a grand ‘crystal palace’. By 1852, an orangery and main entrance building adorned with a statue of Joseph Strutt were in place.

A small entry fee was charged for almost 50 years to ensure the upkeep of the arboretum. This was waived on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons so that those who worked in the mills, behind a shop counter or on the factory floor, could benefit from time spent in its green surrounds. The presence of garden staff who occupied the on-site lodges discouraged infringements.

Increasing industrialisation during the Victorian era resulted in the gradual urbanisation of the Rose Hill district. By the 1890s, the air quality had deteriorated to a point that caused the demise of many of the arboretum’s shrubs and hardwoods. Despite Loudon’s recommendation that the arboretum should feature tree species with less dense or ‘lighter’ crowns, the authorities acted pragmatically and replaced the losses with pollution-tolerant Lime, London Plane and other commonplace species. The saplings were then left to grow.

Loudon’s design for Derby Arboretum also included a pinetum. The area featured examples of most of the conifers known to Britain at the time; various species of cedar, spruce, fir, larch and pine. When these trees also succumbed to atmospheric pollution, the few replacements planted included a Grand fir (Abies grandis) and a Monterey pine (Pinus radiata). Both of these trees form part of today’s Tree Trail.

Soon to reach its 200th anniversary, the arboretum has been subject to the demands of warfare. Cannons were housed there during the Crimean War and bomb shelters dug during later wars. The whims of fashion also held sway; an art deco bandstand was erected and aviaries once accommodated ‘fancy’ bird species. Municipal greenhouses provided local employment and served as an educational resource. Derby Arboretum’s gradual decline also led to social problems which deterred genuine visitors.

Closely related to the better known Indian Bean Tree, the example of the genus seen in Derby Arboretum is the so-called “Northern catalpa” (Catalpa speciosa).

As concerns mounted, the arboretum’s parlous condition was finally addressed shortly after the millennium when funding was secured from the Heritage Fund. By 2003, some of the trees planted in the Victorian era had grown so large they posed a threat to other more significant species. Following an assessment of the 600 remaining trees, approximately 100 were felled to open up the canopy. New trees were planted but when they attain 40–50 ft. in height they are unlikely to be felled. Loudon’s instructions that this should happen and new species be planted to ensure the arboretum’s sustainability, were rejected by the authorities as “impractical”.

It was suggested instead that “a sensible management plan would be to continue to remove some of the larger, more common species to allow the planting of flowering and fruiting species close to the paths.”

Derby Arboretum’s Tree Trail starts at its Grove Lodge entrance. Taking an anti-clockwise direction it follows Loudon’s original design in which the trees and shrubs were planted in family groups. The trail features 25 trees, 10 of which have survived since 1840. A label attached to each tree denotes its family, genus and species together with any common name. Provenance is also shown and the approximate year of its introduction into Britain. Trees grown from cuttings or by grafting are described ‘of garden origin’. A detailed leaflet, which features examples of Loudon’s original drawings, also has pertinent information.

Civic pride has been further encouraged by the erection of a ‘Heart of the Park’ community building and restoration of the arboretum’s infrastructure. Grove Lodge now houses a historical exhibition and a studio used by Spiral Arts, with free workshops for local children.

Co-founder Maureen Elliott said: “Spiral Arts aims to dispel any negative myths people have about the place by working with families and giving them positive experiences in the arboretum.”

Derby Arboretum website