Featuring giant redwood / giant sequoia. Verified occurrence recorded by Redwood World. Not only does Bishops Palace Gardens have a fine example of Giant Redwood, it also has a superb Dawn Redwood tree ( Metasequoia glyptostroboides ), the trunk of which shows the classic shape of its type with twisted and fluted form in surprising contrast to its delicate and neatly shaped foliage. The garden is located in the heart of Chichester in Canon Lane off South Street and has a lovely view of the nearby cathedral, as can be seen in the background in the pictures of the Giant Redwood. A great place to enjoy your cucumber sandwiches and lashings of ginger beer on a sunny day!
Visit information
- Access
- Open to public
- Last verified
- 10 Apr 2026
- Official site
- redwoodworld.co.uk/picturepages/chichester2.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
Dawn redwood is a deciduous redwood from China, known from fossils before living trees were documented in the 1940s. It reached British collections soon afterwards and is now found in parks, botanic gardens, and arboreta, where its soft summer foliage and rusty autumn colour make it distinct from evergreen giant sequoias and coast redwoods.
Redwood World WGS84 reference: N50.83540 W0.78181.
2 recorded by Redwood World.
Field observations
Photos
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Redwood at Chichester - Bishops Palace Gardens
About this place
About Chichester - Bishops Palace Gardens
Chichester - Bishops Palace Gardens is located in Chichester, Sussex, 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.
Access
This location appears to be publicly accessible. Please check locally for current opening times and any admission charges.
Data sourced from Redwood World (redwoodworld.co.uk) and enriched by Redwood Finder.