Bedgebury National Pinetum and forest is the premier outdoor site in the Southeast of England. With nearly 10,000 trees and shrubs the Pinetum is the most complete collection of temperate conifers in the world; it is also an important site of ex situ conservation and a centre of excellence. The Forestry Commission manage the National Pinetum for the nation. They aim to have a visually pleasing mix of conifers and broadleaved specimens contained in 350 acres of rolling Wealden countryside. The collection was started in the 1840's by the Beresford Hope family and was greatly improved following its acquisition by the Forestry Commission in 1925 when it became jointly managed with Kew Gardens. The planting scheme of William Dallimore, the first curator, largely kept all trees from the same genera together, whilst this was useful for comparing species it lead to an uninteresting landscape. The 1987 storm destroyed up to a third of the trees, this sad event provided an opportunity to replant with mixture of trees to give a varied landscape.