England is home to many exceptional parks and heritage sites, but a visit to Kew Gardens is a must for anyone living in or visiting London. Nestled in West London and easily accessible by tube, these royal botanical gardens were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003.
Today, DOYOUSPEAKLONDON shares eight compelling reasons why you should explore these beautiful gardens…
Kew Gardens’ stunning Greenhouses
Kew Gardens is renowned for housing the world’s most important collection of living plants, showcased in several stunning glasshouses.
The recent re-opening of the Temperate House (below) offers a great addition to the Royal Gardens. This beautiful Victorian architectural style with its huge glass structure brings maximum light inside.
The lines of the exterior, the symmetrical architecture inside the greenhouse, and the ambient light create an awe-inspiring scene for photographers – and that’s just the beginning for plant lovers!
The Temperate House has twice the floor area of the Palm House and a very high ceiling. Visitors can walk on a viewing gallery to look down at the plants and enjoy all kinds of perspectives.
The Temperate House exhibits “some of the world’s rarest temperate plants and discover how Kew Research have brought some of them back from the brink of extinction”.
It’s a great pleasure to wander in the aisles where several sculptures have found their place.
The Great Pagoda
The “Great Pagoda” was designed by Sir William Chambers and completed in 1762 as a birthday gift for Princess Augusta, the founder of the botanic gardens at Kew.
It has also recently reopened to the public after years of restoration. This is another great addition to Kew Gardens!
If you’re brave enough to conquer the 253 steps to the top of the Great Pagoda, you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views.
One of the major restoration projects involved reintroducing the dragons that now perch on every ridge of the Pagoda’s ten stories, marking their return after a 200-year absence. Here’s an excellent overview of the building’s history and its 80 dragons…
A Japanese Gateway
I love this tranquil spot in the Gardens, often overlooked by visitors. Known as Chokushi-Mon (Gateway of the Imperial Messenger), it’s a near replica of the Gate of Nishi Hongan-ji (Western Temple of the Original Vow) in Kyoto, Japan. This beautiful structure was created for the Japan-British Exhibition held at White City in London in 1910 and reflects the architectural style of the late 16th-century Momoyama period (or Japanese rococo).
The Treetop Walkway
Impressive from the ground – especially for those with a fear of heights – the Treetop Walkway, designed by the architects of the London Eye, is incredibly popular, particularly among kids. They enjoy the thrill of feeling like they can walk from one tree to another!
Towering at a height of 18 metres, the view of the gardens from this 200 meters long walkway is obviously spectacular. Will you have a go?
The Hive
The Hive was originally created for the UK Pavilion at the 2015 Milan Expo and it is now permanently exhibited in Kew Gardens.
This contemporary piece of art, designed by UK based artist Wolfgang Buttress, is a visual tribute to Britain’s honeybees.
The idea behind The Hive is to catch a glimpse of what is life inside a bee colony. “Honey bees communicate through smells and vibrations. Inside The Hive are 1000 led lights which connect to one of Kew’s beehives. The illumination of lights represent the bee’s communications and the vibrational changes occurring within Kew Hives”.
Outstanding exhibitions
Kew Gardens organizes a wide variety of events and exhibitions each year. One event I particularly admire is the annual Orchid Festival in February, which features a different theme each year; this year’s spotlight was on Colombia. I visited the 2018 exhibition highlighting Thailand and was captivated by the stunning variety of orchids on display.
I wrote a review on this blog that provides an overview of the exceptional quality of these events, showcasing both the remarkable selection of orchids and the impressive staging.
Also on this year’s programme, a much anticipated exhibition featuring contemporary glass artist Dale Chihuly.
I’m so excited about Chihuly’s work that I’ll be writing a dedicated article on this blog very soon. Stay tuned to explore his stunning artworks currently on display throughout the Gardens!
The exceptional fauna and flora
Kew Gardens truly lives up to its ‘Royal’ title. Personally, I have never visited a more beautiful park, no matter the season.
Indeed, Kew Gardens has everything to lift your spirits: expansive open spaces to breathe in fresh air and escape the city hustle, spectacular natural surroundings, a diverse array of plant and tree species, and a few animals to entertain young explorers. The flora and fauna here are truly at their best!
Kids zones
Kids’ expectations are all satisfied at Kew and I would say by experience that their favourite places would be these ones: The Log Trail and the Playground.
The Log Trail is one of the funniest part of the park for all kids: there they can hop, jump, climb and have fun in this natural adventurous zone made from trees knocked down by storms. (I have even learnt that trees included in the trail are beech, ash, oak, eucalyptus and pine. Always good to know!).
And if you dive into the woodlands, you will also find a giant picnic table, a bug hotel, a life-sized badger sett… everything to learn from the woods in a funny way!
Also part of the success of Kew Gardens is the big Playground, which has been announced to be reopened in the weeks to come.
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I’ve shared all the reasons why Kew Gardens is absolutely worth a visit, whether you’re planning a trip to London or live nearby. You could easily spend the entire day in the gardens and even organise a picnic now that summer is just around the corner.
I hope you make the most of this discovery and share your experiences on DOYOUSPEAKLONDON blog!
To go further:
Kew Gardens: Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE.
Kew Gardens tube station is 500m from Victoria Gate.
Website
Membership information (best value for money if you want to come back during the year).
Pour moi la plus puissante incitation serait d’aller découvrir The Hive . Ce spectaculaire hommage aux abeilles est hélas d’une bien triste actualité .
Que de bons souvenirs et de superbes images !!!!
Tant de choses à voir, et tant de choses qui nous restent à voir…ce parc magnifique nous réserve un tas de choses à decouvrir!!!
@olivier-lorain merci Olivier!
@myriam C’est une belle oeuvre en effet, esthétique et didactique!