The Clinton Baker Pinetum is situated near to the University of Hertfordshire's Bayfordbury campus . Permission should be gained before visiting the Pinetum. It was created in 1837 and contains around 150 species of conifers from all over the world, many are over 100 years old. Among these are nine Giant Redwood (including two young trees), a Dawn Redwood and several Coast Redwood. One of the older Giant Redwoods has suffered the loss of its top probably in a thunder storm, quite a spectacular sight to have witnessed I would imagine. There are a couple of modest sized Coast Redwoods that seem in fine health. There is also a very peculiar structure, it is a small island a few metres across produced by the excavation of several metres depth of soil in a circular fashion. In the centre it looks as thought there were once a couple of fairly large Coast Redwoods that have been removed, and from whose stumps several shoots have since sprouted. It is probable that the original trees were removed so as not to collapse the structure, but it would appear that the new shoots will themselves become a problem in the not too distant future. A large amount of bricks and rubble have been built up against the sides of the structure, in what appears to be an attempt to prevent further collapse. The estate was bought in the 1940's by the John Innes Horticultural Institute (of compost fame), but the current owner is the University of Hertfordshire. Volunteers helped clear the site of fallen trees and brambles after the 1987 gales and continue to restore the pathways and maintain the site.
Visit information
- Access
- Access unknown
- Last verified
- 11 Apr 2026
- Official site
- redwoodworld.co.uk/picturepages/bayford2.htm
Redwood species here
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in parts of their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Present. Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume
Native to the fog belt of coastal California and Oregon, coast redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth. In Britain they thrive where rainfall, humidity, and sheltered woodland conditions echo their native range, forming narrow, soaring avenues and groves with reddish fibrous bark and flat fern-like foliage.
Present. The tallest trees on Earth, coast redwoods can exceed 100 metres in their native California. Less common in Britain than giant sequoias, they prefer sheltered, moist locations and can still reach impr
Field observations
Photos
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Redwood at Bayford - Clinton Baker Pinetum
About this place
About Bayford - Clinton Baker Pinetum
Bayford - Clinton Baker Pinetum is located in Bayford, Hertfordshire, England.
Species Present
Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
The tallest trees on Earth, coast redwoods can exceed 100 metres in their native California. Less common in Britain than giant sequoias, they prefer sheltered, moist locations and can still reach impressive heights in the UK. The tallest known coast redwood in Britain is over 50 metres.
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
A deciduous conifer thought to be extinct until rediscovered in a remote Chinese province in 1941. Seeds were distributed to botanical gardens worldwide in the late 1940s. Unlike its evergreen relatives, the dawn redwood loses its needles in winter, turning a striking copper-bronze in autumn.
Data sourced from Redwood World (redwoodworld.co.uk) and enriched by Redwood Finder.