The pretty UK village dubbed 'the best place in world to watch the leaves turn' in Autumn

Imagine a magical tree garden where you can see and explore 2,500 different types of trees and shrubs from all over the world, right here in the UK.

There are around 15,000 trees here, and there is no better time to view them than in the Autumn, when their leaves present a riot of colour, from deep reds to vibrant oranges and sunny yellows.

You can even immerse yourself in the forest canopy on the Tree Top Walkway. Some 300 metres long, it gradually rises on gentle inclines to a height of 13 metres, offering spectacular views across the stunning English landscape.

The tree garden is described as "truly one of the most beautiful tree gardens to be found anywhere in the world."

Known internationally for its spectacular autumn colour display, it offers an unforgettable day out all year round, from magnificent flowering trees in spring, to sculptural and bright-stemmed specimens in winter...but really Autumn shows it at its best.

One visitor said: "It is so spectacular, the best place in the world to watch the Autumn leaves change colour."

This stunning autumnal paradise is in Westonbirt, home to the National Arboretum, just a few miles south west of Tetbury in Gloucestershire.

Created by Victorian entrepreneurRobert Holford, its 240 hectares (600 acres) were planted during an exciting period of plant hunting, when trees and shrubs from all over the globe were introduced to Britain.

Unlike other arboretums, the landscape here was laid out aesthetically rather than in a botanical order, meaning Westonbirt Arboretum is particularly stunning.

The medieval village of Westonbirt was originally located to the southwest of St Catherine's Church. It straddled the road to Easton Grey and, in 1840, consisted of ten cottages, a rectory, and a farmhouse.

However, the village site frustrated Robert Holford's plans to extend his gardens westward after he inherited the Westonbirt estate in 1839, so in the early 1850s, he had the village relocated half a mile further away. This gave him the space to create a new informal garden that featured numerous specimen trees, a lake, and a rockery.

Now managed byForestry England it is perhaps the most important and widely known arboretum in the United Kingdom.

As part of the Westonbirt House estate, the arboretum forms part of a site which is listed Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest.

It comprises approximately 15,000 trees and shrubs with 17 miles (27 km) of marked paths provide access to a wide variety of rare plants. The Old Arboretum is a carefully designed landscape with several avenues, and a number of rare and exotic trees from across the globe dating back to the 1850s. Silk Wood is a more traditional working woodland, dating back to the 13th century.

Throughout the arboretum, each specimen tree is labelled, either on the trunk or a low-hanging branch. Blue labels indicate Westonbirt's "champion trees", the tallest or largest of their kind in Britain.

The website advises visitors to "Pop into the Welcome Building at the start of your visit - you'll find lots of interesting information to help you make the most of your visit as well as stories about Westonbirt's trees and how they are cared for.

There are seasonal trail leaflets, which will guide you around some of the most amazing trees in our tree collection - hand-picked by us!

"Take a walk on the STIHL Treetop Walkway, 300 metres long it gradually rises on gentle inclines to a height of 13 metres offering spectacular views across the arboretum landscape. It is accessible to visitors on foot, using mobility scooters, wheelchairs and pushchairs and to those with dogs on leads. It leads visitors from near the Welcome Building into the treetops of the beautiful Silk Wood.

For families, our play trail is a great way to fire children's imaginations and, in such stunning surroundings, it's an enjoyable adventure for the whole family."

For more information visitwww.forestryengland.uk/westonbirt-the-national-arboretum