Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens in southwest London offers a welcome respite from the busy city, known equally for its selection of spectacular plants and historic buildings.
Category: Gardens
Location: London, England
In a way, cities are unnatural constructions, always continually expanding and growing larger by taking over surrounding land. Perhaps this is why so many people love to visit gardens and parks, the greenery in these places are reminders of the nature that is the basis of all life.
The origins of Kew Gardens in southwest London can be traced to the merging of the royal estates of Richmond and Kew in 1772. A few years before, several garden structures had been planned, including the Great Pagoda (built in 1761) which still remains. It’s a perfect place to visit during a long London weekend. At Kew, you can spend an entire day strolling aimlessly, visiting palm houses and stopping for coffee or a light lunch.
Kew Gardens has a large variety of historic buildings. Kew Palace is a British royal palace, dating to 1631, while the Palm House was built in the 1840s, today considered the world’s most important surviving glass and iron structure. All its panes of glass are hand-blown. The Temperate House, twice as large as the Palm House, followed later in the 19th century (and took 40 years to construct). These houses are perfect to visit when the weather is less than ideal for outdoor strolling. In fact, visiting the large palm-houses on a rainy day makes the experience of walking around under large palm trees even more exotic.
The “Five Lions' are five trees that have survived since 1792: a ginkgo, a pagoda tree, an oriental plane, a black locs, and a Caucasian elm. There is also a canopy walkway that takes visitors on a 200 metres walk 18 metres above the ground. The entire structure sways in the wind. In 2016, The Hive, a multi-sensory experience highlighting the life of bees, was inaugurated. Designed by Wolfgang Buttress, it was created using thousands of aluminium pieces presented in the shape of a honeycomb. Initially only planned as a temporary exhibition, it was made a permanent feature of the gardens due to its popularity.
When you grow tired of walking, head over to the Orangery, designed by William Chambers in 1761, currently used as a restaurant and café.
London, UK