Lewes Urban Arboretum

Lewes Urban Arboretum is a town-wide arboretum project managed by the Trees Committee of Friends of Lewes, a civic society. The vision is of Lewes as a "town in the trees", where trees are appreciated, valued, and looked after. As the county town of East Sussex, Lewes is at the heart of the South Downs National Park and benefits from historic plantings by local councils, previous tree groups, and collections of trees in parks and gardens. Their legacy includes an ancient Mulberry, native Black Poplars and a magnificent “Railway Poplar”, a Lucombe Oak, a much-loved Cappadocian Maple and several beautiful fastigiate Hornbeams.

They consult with landowners and residents to plant mature street trees in grassy verges and open spaces across Lewes which will thrive in a changing climate. They choose from a carefully selected mix of chalk-tolerant native trees, hardy clones of trees which are under threat from pests or diseases and climate-resilient "specimen trees".

They aim to restore the treescape to create green corridors and stepping-stones for wildlife and boost biodiversity. Several of their projects are focused on benefits to wildlife, such as planting "trees for bees" to benefit bees and other pollinators.