The Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, usually referred to simply as Kew Gardens, are
extensive gardens and botanical glasshouses between
Richmond upon Thames and Kew. They are without
doubt some of the best gardens in the whole of the UK
and attract over a million visitors a year. Ticket
prices for adults are £13 but children under 17 can
enter the gardens for free.
Kew Gardens originated in the
exotic garden at Kew Park formed by Lord Capel of
Tewkesbury. In 1840 the gardens were adopted as a
national botanical garden and increased to 270 acres.
It is now 300 acres. For books and DVDs
about Kew Gardens, visit our online
store
Kew Palace
was built in 1631 and is the smallest of
the royal palaces, used by the royal family between
1729 and 1818. Open to visitors in the summer, costs £5 per
adult in addition to the standard Kew Gardens entry fee.
There are some great exhibits inside, ranging from the chair that
Queen Charlotte died in, to King George III's waistcoat.
Kew Gardens is located just a
5-10 minute walk from Kew Gardens underground and train station, on the
District Line. Kew Bridge Station is about the same distance, but
on the North side of the River. Everyone in the area will be able
to point you in the right direction.
Kew Gardens has just one car
park, located near the Brentford Gate off Kew Green. It costs £5
per day. There is some street parking at weekends on single yellow
lines, but it gets grabbed pretty early - and always check the local
signs to make sure that it IS safe to park as London parking rules vary
dramatically.
The Palm Houseat Kew
Gardens was completed in 1848, constructed from glass and iron. The
palms inside are exhibited by region - one for the Americas, one for
Africa and one for Asia and Australasia. This is an absolute must
visit part for any visitor to Kew Gardens.
The Princess of Wales Conservatory
at Kew Gardens
has ten computer controlled climatic zones, hosting
cacti, ginger, pineapples, giant waterlillies and
orchids. And the pools contain freshwater stingrays,
water dragons and poison-dart tree frogs!
The Wollemi Pine was
thought to be extinct for 2 million years, until it was
re-found in a gorge near Sydney, Australia. Less
than 100 mature trees exist in the world, so this
growing specimen in Kew Gardens is being well protected.
The
Orangery
at Kew Gardens was designed by Sir William Chambers as a hothouse for
oranges and completed in 1761. It is the largest
classical style building in Kew Gardens, measuring 28 m
long by 10 m deep. At the time it was England's biggest
glasshouse.
Kew Gardens is a
leading centre of botanical research, a training ground
for professional gardeners and a popular visitor
attraction?
In 2005 KewGardens
attracted 1.48 million visitors, which was the most
since 1949 and is the largest number for any paid entry
garden in the United Kingdom.
Kew Gardens is important
as a repository of seeds; it has one of the most
important seedbanks. With the Harvard University
Herbaria, and the Australian National Herbarium, they
co-operate in the IPNI database to produce an
authoritative source of information on the nomenclature
of plants.
Kew Gardens' Treetop walkway is 18m above the
ground, giving a close-up view of treetop canopy.
There is a lift for those who are unable to climb the
winding staircase.
Kew Gardens is located in Kew,
in the borough of Richmond upon Thames.
Kew Gardens underground station is about 5 minutes walk from Kew
Gardens main entrance.