Botanic gardens · London
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Also known as: Kew Gardens
In or near Thames Ditton.
The world's most celebrated botanic garden — UNESCO, 50,000 plants, 1759.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Kew Gardens · 0.7 km
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the nearest railway station is Kew Gardens, located 0.7 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is TW9 3AB. Entry is paid, and accessibility details are not provided.
About
Kew Gardens in south-west London is the world's most-celebrated botanic garden, founded in 1759 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site holding 50,000 living plants across 132 hectares. The Palm House (1844, Decimus Burton) is the most important surviving Victorian iron-and-glass structure in the world; the Temperate House is the largest. Kew's Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst is the largest wild-plant seed bank on Earth.
Photo gallery
Summary from the official site
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a renowned botanical garden that showcases a diverse range of plant species and beautiful landscapes. Visitors can explore various gardens, greenhouses, and exhibitions, including the notable outdoor exhibition by Henry Moore.
Read more on the official property page.
From the Wikipedia article
Kew Gardens is a botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1759, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its living collections include some of the 27,000 taxa curated by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, while the herbarium, one of the largest in the world, has over 8.5 million preserved plant and fungal specimens. The library contains more than 750,000 volumes, and the illustrations collection contains more than 175,000 prints and drawings of plants. It is one of London's top tourist attractions and is a World Heritage Site. Kew Gardens, together with the botanic gardens at Wakehurst in Sussex, are managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, an internationally important botanical research and education institution that employs over 1,100 staff and is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The botanic gardens at Kew formally started in 1759, although they can be traced back to the exotic garden at Kew Park, formed by Henry, Lord Capell of Tewkesbury. The site now consists of 132 hectares (330 acres) of gardens and botanical glasshouses, four Grade I listed buildings, and 36 Grade II listed structures, all set in an internationally significant landscape. Kew Gardens is listed Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Kew Gardens has its own police force, Kew Constabulary, which has been in operation since 1845.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Kew consists mostly of the gardens themselves and a small surrounding community. Around the start of the 16th century courtiers attending Richmond Palace settled in Kew and built large houses. Early royal residences at Kew included Mary Tudor's house, which was in existence by 1522 when a driveway was built to connect it to the palace at Richmond. The exotic garden at Kew Park, formed by Henry Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Tewkesbury, was enlarged and extended by Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales, the widow of Frederick, Prince of Wales. The origins of Kew Gardens can be traced to the merging of the royal estates of Richmond and Kew in 1772. William Chambers built several garden structures,…
Description
The Hive opened in 2016 and is a multi-sensory experience designed to highlight the extraordinary life of bees. It stands 17 metres (56 ft) tall and is set in a wildflower meadow. The Hive was designed by English artist Wolfgang Buttress. The Hive has been created using thousands of aluminium pieces that are presented in the shape of a honeycomb. It was initially installed as a temporary exhibition, but was given a permanent home at Kew Gardens due to its popularity.
Visiting
Kew Gardens is accessible by four gates that are open to the public: the Elizabeth Gate, at the west end of Kew Green, and was originally called the Main Gate before being renamed in 2012 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II; the Brentford Gate, which faces the River Thames; the Victoria Gate (named after Queen Victoria), situated in Kew Road, which is also the location of the Visitors' Centre; and the Lion Gate, also situated in Kew Road. Other gates that are not open to the public include Unicorn Gate, Cumberland Gate and Jodrell Gate (all in Kew Road), Isleworth Gate (facing the Thames), and Oxenhouse Gate (south boundary with Old Deer Park). Kew Bridge station, on the…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.4781, -0.2956
- District
- Richmond upon Thames
- Parish
- Richmond upon Thames, unparished area
- Postcode
- TW9 3AB
- Parliamentary constituency
- Richmond Park
- Established
- 1759
- Annual visitors
- ~2,250,355/year
- Nearest railway station
- Kew Gardens — 0.7 km
- Official site
- www.kew.org
Sources
- wikidata: Q188617 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Kew Gardens (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Palmhuis.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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📷 5Frequently asked questions
- Where is Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew?
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is in London, United Kingdom (postcode TW9 3AB), in the parish of Richmond upon Thames, unparished area.
- What is Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew?
- The world's most celebrated botanic garden — UNESCO, 50,000 plants, 1759.
- How do I get to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew?
- The nearest railway station is Kew Gardens, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode TW9 3AB.
- When was Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew built?
- Built or established in 1759.
- Is Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew a listed building?
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is officially recognised as Grade I listed.
- How do I get to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew?
- The nearest railway station is Kew Gardens, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode TW9 3AB.
- How busy is Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew?
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew draws around 2,250,355 visitors a year.