Featuring giant redwood / giant sequoia and dawn redwood. Verified occurrence recorded by Redwood World. Tucked over the far side of the fields at Weald Country Park are three Giant Redwoods. A herd of cows can sometimes be found munching serenely among these giants in the Summer, although fortunately they don't find the trees' foliage at all appetising! Near the Visitor Center off Lincolns lane, there is also a group of three Dawn Redwood ( Metasequoia glyptostroboides ). Two look to be in excellent condition, but one poor straggler looks decidedly stunted, being very short and quite untidy in shape. A further two Giant Redwoods can be found via the Sandpit Lane entrance, nestled amongst other trees. Weald Country Park was once a deer park, used for hunting by the Abbots of Waltham around 1063. These were re-introduced in 1987, the deer that is, not the Abbots. It has also been the site of a hall and gardens, but is now 550 acres of mixed woodlandand grassland, with two lakes that were created in the 18th Century by damming a small tributary of Weald brook. You can find out more about Weald Country Park on Brentwood Council's website
Visit information
- Access
- Open to public
- Last verified
- 10 Apr 2026
- Official site
- redwoodworld.co.uk/picturepages/weald.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.
Present. 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 relativ
About this place
About Weald - Weald Country Park
Weald - Weald Country Park is located in Weald, Essex, 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.