In order to trace the history of the Arboretum we need to turn for a moment to the family who created it, the Harcourt family. In 1835 Archbishop Harcourt instructed William Sawrey Gilpin to design and plant a Pinetum. This was the first step in creating the Harcourt Arboretum.

The Arboretum has been part of the University since 1963. Today many visitors come to the Arboretum to enjoy a unique blend of Garden and Nature - the transition from one to the other being almost imperceptible.