Kew Gardens: Difference between revisions
Undid revision 435117551 by 66.92.52.224 (talk): breaks hundreds of links to apparent WP:PRIMARYTOPIC, should not be changed without discussion |
Headhitter (talk | contribs) Created standalone Kew Gardens article as per discuusion in Talk:Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Will now reduce size of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew article Tag: nowiki added |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Redirect|Kew Gardens|the suburb|Kew, London|other Kew Gardens|Kew Gardens (disambiguation)}} |
|||
#REDIRECT [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] |
|||
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}} |
|||
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}} |
|||
{{Infobox park |
|||
|name = Kew Gardens |
|||
|photo = Kew Gardens Temperate House from the Pagoda - geograph.org.uk - 227173.jpg |
|||
|photo_width = 300px |
|||
|alt = Kew Gardens Temperate House from the Pagoda |
|||
|photo_caption = Kew Gardens Temperate House from the Pagoda |
|||
|map = Kew Map.jpg |
|||
|map caption = Map of Kew Gardens |
|||
|type = Botanical |
|||
|location = London, England |
|||
|coords = {{Coord|51|28.480|N|0|17.728|W|type:landmark|display=inline}} |
|||
|area = {{convert|121|ha|acre|abbr=off}} |
|||
|plants = |
|||
|species = <nowiki>></nowiki> 30,000 |
|||
|collections = |
|||
|opened = {{Start date|1759}} |
|||
|owner = |
|||
|operator = |
|||
|budget = |
|||
|visitation_num= more than 1.35 million per year |
|||
|status = |
|||
|website = {{URL|www.kew.org}} |
|||
|embedded= |
|||
{{Infobox World Heritage Site |
|||
| Image = [[File:Kew Gardens Palm House, London - July 2009.jpg|300px|The Palm House and Parterre]] |
|||
| State Party = United Kingdom |
|||
| Type = Cultural |
|||
| Criteria = ii, iii, iv |
|||
| ID = 1084 |
|||
| Region = [[List of World Heritage Sites in Europe|Europe and North America]] |
|||
| Year = 2003 |
|||
| Session = 27th |
|||
| Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1084 |
|||
| child = yes |
|||
}} |
|||
}} |
|||
'''Kew Gardens''' is the world's largest collection of living plants. Founded in 1840 from the exotic garden at Kew Park in the [[London Borough of Richmond upon Thames]], UK, its living collections include more than 30,000 different kinds of plants, while the [[herbarium]], which is one of the largest in the world, has over {{Nowrap|seven million}} preserved plant 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. In 2003, the gardens were put on the [[United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization|UNESCO]] list of [[List of World Heritage Sites of the United Kingdom|World Heritage Sites]]. |
|||
Kew Gardens, together with the botanic gardens at [[Wakehurst Place]] in [[Sussex]] are managed by the '''[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]]''' (brand name '''Kew'''), an internationally important [[botany|botanical]] research and education institution that employs 750 staff, and is a [[non-departmental public body]] sponsored by the [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]].<ref name="Dyduch">{{cite news | url=http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/11110817.Dozens_of_jobs_at_risk_as_Kew_Gardens_faces___5m_shortfall/?ref=var_0 | title=Dozens of jobs at risk as Kew Gardens faces £5m shortfall | work=Richmond Guardian | date=28 March 2014 | accessdate=26 June 2014 | author=Dyduch, Amy}}</ref> Its chief executive is the current [[Directors of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|Director]], Richard Deverell.<ref name="Director">{{cite web | url=http://www.kew.org/about/our-work/people-and-departments/director | title=Director | publisher=Kew | work=People and departments | accessdate=25 June 2014}}</ref> |
|||
The Kew site, which has been dated as formally starting in 1759,<ref name="UNESCO_1084">{{cite web |url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1084 |title=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |work=[[World Heritage]] |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |accessdate=24 March 2009}}</ref> though can be traced back to the exotic garden at Kew Park, formed by Lord Capel John of [[Tewkesbury]], consists of {{convert|121|ha}}<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.kew.org/ksheets/pdfs/k16kewhistory.pdf|title= Kew, History & Heritage |author= |date= |work= |publisher=Kew |accessdate=24 January 2013}}</ref> of [[garden]]s and [[Greenhouse|botanical glasshouses]], four Grade I [[listed building]]s and 36 Grade II listed structures, all set in an internationally significant landscape.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/press/director06.htm |title=Director of Royal Botanic Gardens |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|date=14 October 2010 |accessdate=24 April 2012}}</ref> |
|||
Kew Gardens has its own police force, [[Kew Constabulary]], which has been in operation since 1847. |
|||
==History== |
|||
[[Kew]], the area in which Kew Gardens are situated, consists mainly of the gardens themselves and a small surrounding community.<ref name=Malden/> Royal residences in the area which would later influence the layout and construction of the gardens began in 1299 when [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] moved his court to a manor house in neighbouring [[Richmond, London|Richmond]] (then called Sheen).<ref name=Malden/> That manor house was later abandoned; however, [[Henry V of England|Henry V]] built Sheen Palace in 1501, which, under the name [[Richmond Palace]], became a permanent royal residence for [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]].<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45378&strquery=|author=Daniel Lysons|title=The Environs of London: volume 1: County of Surrey|pages=202–211|date=1792}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milesfaster.co.uk/information/london-attractions/royal-botanic-gardens-kew.htm|title=London Attractions and Places of Interest Index|publisher=milesfaster.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wptYAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA25#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=The Visitor's Hand-book to Richmond, Kew Gardens, and Hampton Court|page=25|publisher=Cradock and Company|date= 1848|author= W Harrison}}</ref> Around the start of the 16th century courtiers attending Richmond Palace settled in Kew and built large houses.<ref name=Malden>{{cite book|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43012|title=Kew, A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3|author=H.E. Malden|pages=482–487|date=1911}}</ref> Early royal residences in Kew included [[Mary I of England|Mary Tudor]]'s house, which was in existence by 1522 when a driveway was built to connect it to the palace at Richmond.<ref name=Malden/> Around 1600, the land that would become the gardens was known as Kew Field, a large field [[strip farming|strip farmed]] by one of the new private estates.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9YAEAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT9&lpg=PT9|page=9|title=The Story of Kew Gardens|author= Lynn Parker, Kiri Ross-Jones|publisher=Arcturus Publishing|date= 13 Aug 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infobritain.co.uk/Royal_Botanic_Gardens.htm|title=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Wakehurst Place|author=Martin Jones|publisher=infobritain.co.uk}}</ref> |
|||
The exotic garden at Kew Park, formed by Lord Capel John of [[Tewkesbury]], was enlarged and extended by [[Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha|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 1722.<ref name=Advisory>{{cite report|url=http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/1084.pdf|title=UNESCO Advisory Body Evaluation Kew (United Kingdom) No 1084|date=2003|Author=UNESCO Advisory Body|publisher=unesco.org}}</ref> [[William Chambers (architect)|William Chambers]] built several garden structures, including the lofty [[Chinese architecture|Chinese]] [[pagoda]] built in 1761 which still remains. [[George III of the United Kingdom|George III]] enriched the gardens, aided by [[William Aiton]] and Sir [[Joseph Banks]].<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lSKsllGsTMoC&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false|page=78|author=Richard Harry Drayton|title=Nature's Government: Science, Imperial Britain, and the 'Improvement' of the World|publisher=Yale University Press|date= 2000}}</ref> The old Kew Park (by then renamed the White House), was demolished in 1802. The "Dutch House" adjoining was purchased by George III in 1781 as a nursery for the royal children. It is a plain brick structure now known as [[Kew Palace]]. |
|||
Some early plants came from the walled garden established by William Coys at [[Stubbers|Stubbers in North Ockendon]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Stubbers: The Walled garden|first=RG|last=Smith|year=1989}}</ref> The collections grew somewhat haphazardly until the appointment of the first collector, [[Francis Masson]], in 1771.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=36655 |title= Masson, Francis|volume = 5 (1801–1820)|publisher=[[Dictionary of Canadian Biography]] |date=18 October 2007 |accessdate=24 April 2012}}</ref> [[Capability Brown]], who became England's most renowned [[landscape architect]], applied for the position of master gardener at Kew, and was rejected.<ref name="kew">{{cite web |url=http://www.kew.org/heritage/people/brown.html |title=Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown (1716–1783) |work=Kew History & Heritage |publisher=Kew |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref> |
|||
In 1840 the gardens were adopted as a national [[botanical garden]], in large part due to the efforts of the [[Royal Horticultural Society]] and its president [[William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire|William Cavendish]].<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Lankester Botanical Garden|year=2010|title=Biographies|journal=Lankesteriana|volume=10|issue=2/3|pages=183–206, page 186|url=http://lankesteriana.org/lankesteriana/LANKESTERIANA%2010(2-3)/Lankesteriana%2010(2-3)%20Part%2010%20-%20Biographies.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523220801/http://lankesteriana.org/lankesteriana/LANKESTERIANA%2010(2-3)/Lankesteriana%2010(2-3)%20Part%2010%20-%20Biographies.pdf|archivedate=23 May 2014|deadurl=no}}</ref> Under Kew's director, [[William Jackson Hooker|William Hooker]], the gardens were increased to 30 [[hectare]]s (75 acres) and the pleasure grounds, or [[arboretum]], extended to {{convert|109|ha|acre|abbr=off}}, and later to its present size of {{convert|121|ha|acre|abbr=off}}. The first curator was [[John Smith (botanist)|John Smith]]. |
|||
The [[Palm House]] was built by architect [[Decimus Burton]] and iron-maker [[Richard Turner (iron-founder)|Richard Turner]] between 1844 and 1848, and was the first large-scale structural use of [[wrought iron]]. It is considered ''" the world's most important surviving Victorian glass and iron structure."''<ref name="Palm House">{{cite web | url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/explore/attractions/palm-house-and-rose-garden | title=Palm House and Rose Garden | publisher=Kew | work=Visit Kew Gardens | accessdate=11 June 2014}}</ref><ref>[[The Crystal Palace]] was an even more imposing glass and iron structure but fire destroyed it.</ref> The structure's panes of glass are all hand-blown. The Temperate House, which is twice as large as the Palm House, followed later in the 19th century. It is now the largest [[Victorian era|Victorian]] glasshouse in existence. Kew was the location of the successful effort in the 19th century to propagate [[Hevea brasiliensis|rubber trees]] for cultivation outside South America. |
|||
In February 1913, the Tea House was burned down by [[suffragette]]s [[Olive Wharry]] and [[Lilian Lenton]] during a series of arson attacks in London.<ref>{{cite news |title=Suffragists burn a pavilion at Kew; Two Arrested and Held Without Bail – One Throws a Book at a Magistrate |author= |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=21 February 1913 |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F0DE5DA133BE633A25752C2A9649C946296D6CF }} <!-- {{Nowrap|21 February}} 1913 --></ref> Kew Gardens lost hundreds of trees in the [[Great Storm of 1987]].<ref name="Bone">{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7033148.stm | title=Kew: Razed, reborn and rejuvenated | work=[[BBC News]] | date=16 October 2007 | accessdate=17 June 2014 | author=Bone, Victoria}}</ref> From 1959 to 2007 Kew Gardens had the tallest flagpole in Britain. Made from a single [[Douglas-fir]] from Canada, it was given to mark both the centenary of the Canadian Province of [[British Columbia]] and the bicentenary of Kew Gardens. The flagpole was removed after damage by weather and woodpeckers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kew Gardens Flagpole |url=http://www.kew.org/heritage/places/flagpole.html|publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|accessdate=24 January 2013}}</ref> |
|||
In July 2003, the gardens were put on the list of [[World Heritage Sites]]<ref name="UNESCO_1084"/> by [[United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization|UNESCO]]. |
|||
==Features== |
|||
;Treetop walkway |
|||
A new treetop walkway opened in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/trees/ |title=Treetop Walkway |publisher=Kew |date= |accessdate=24 April 2012}}</ref> This walkway is {{convert|18|m}} high and {{convert|200|m}} long and takes visitors into the tree canopy of a woodland [[glade (geography)|glade]]. Visitors can ascend and descend by stairs or by a [[elevator|lift]]. The floor of the walkway is made from perforated metal and flexes as it is walked upon. The entire structure sways in the wind. |
|||
The accompanying image shows a section of the walkway and the steel supports that were designed to rust to a tree-like appearance to help the walkway fit in with its surroundings. |
|||
A short film detailing the construction of the walkway is available online.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apps.kew.org/trees/?page_id=245 |title=The making of the Treetop Walkway |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|date= |accessdate=24 April 2012}}</ref> |
|||
{{Wide image|Kew Gardens Treetop Walkway - Sept 2008.jpg|600px|<center>A panoramic view of the treetop walkway. It stands {{convert|18|m}} above ground.</center>}} |
|||
;Sackler Crossing |
|||
[[File:Kew Gradens Sackler Crossing.jpg|thumb|left|The Sackler Crossing]] |
|||
The Sackler Crossing bridge, made of granite and bronze, opened in May 2006. Designed by [[Buro Happold]] and [[John Pawson]], it crosses the lake and is named in honour of philanthropists [[Mortimer Sackler|Dr Mortimer and Theresa Sackler]]. |
|||
The minimalist-styled bridge is designed as a sweeping double curve of black granite. The sides of the bridge are formed of bronze posts that give the impression, from certain angles, of forming a solid wall whereas from others, and to those on the bridge, they are clearly individual entities that allow a view of the water beyond. |
|||
The bridge forms part of a path designed to encourage visitors to visit more of the gardens than had hitherto been popular and connects the two art galleries, via the Temperate and Evolution Houses and the woodland glade, to the Minka House and the Bamboo Garden. |
|||
The crossing won a special award from the [[Royal Institute of British Architects]] in 2008. |
|||
{{-}} |
|||
;Vehicular tour |
|||
Kew Explorer is a service that takes a circular route around the gardens, provided by two 72-seater [[Trackless train|road trains]] that are fuelled by [[Calor Gas]] to minimise pollution. A commentary is provided by the driver and there are several stops. |
|||
A map of the gardens is available on the Kew Gardens website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/explore-kew-gardens/index.htm |title=Visit Kew Gardens: Visitor Information And Events To Inspire Your Visit |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|date= |accessdate=24 April 2012}}</ref> |
|||
;Compost heap |
|||
Kew has one of the largest [[Composting|compost heaps]] in Europe, made from green waste from the gardens and the waste from the stables of the [[Household Cavalry]]. The compost is mainly used in the gardens, but on occasion has been auctioned as part of a fundraising event for the gardens.<ref name="Compost">{{cite web | url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/garden-attractions-A-Z/compost-heap.htm | title=Compost heap | publisher=Kew | work=Visit Kew Gardens | accessdate=11 June 2014}}</ref> |
|||
The compost heap is in an area of the gardens not accessible to the public, but a viewing platform, made of wood which had been illegally traded but seized by Customs officers in [[HMRC]], has been erected to allow visitors to observe the heap as it goes through its cycle.<ref name="Compost"/> |
|||
;Guided walks |
|||
Free tours of the gardens are conducted daily by trained volunteers. |
|||
===Plant houses=== |
|||
;Alpine House |
|||
[[File:Kew Gardens Alpine House.jpg|thumb|right|The Davies Alpine House]] |
|||
In March 2006, the Davies Alpine House opened, the third version of an alpine house since 1887. Although only 16 metres long the apex of the roof arch extends to a height of 10 metres in order to allow the natural airflow of a building of this shape to aid in the all-important ventilation required for the type of plants to be housed. |
|||
The new house features a set of automatically operated blinds that prevent it overheating when the sun is too hot for the plants together with a system that blows a continuous stream of cool air over the plants. The main design aim of the house is to allow maximum light transmission. To this end the glass is of a special low iron type that allows 90 per cent of the ultraviolet light in sunlight to pass. It is attached by high tension steel cables so that no light is obstructed by traditional glazing bars. |
|||
To conserve energy the cooling air is not refrigerated but is cooled by being passed through a labyrinth of pipes buried under the house at a depth where the temperature remains suitable all year round. The house is designed so that the maximum temperature should not exceed {{convert|20|C|F|0}}. |
|||
Kew's collection of Alpine plants (defined as those that grow above the tree-line in their locale – ground level at the poles rising to over {{convert|2000|m|0|abbr=off}}), extends to over 7000. As the Alpine House can only house around 200 at a time the ones on show are regularly rotated. |
|||
{{-}} |
|||
{{anchor|The Nash Conservatory}} |
|||
;Nash Conservatory |
|||
[[File:Nash conservatory 7047r.jpg|thumb|left|The Nash Conservatory]] |
|||
Originally designed for [[Buckingham Palace]], this was moved to Kew in 1836 by [[King William IV]]. With an abundance of natural light, the building is used various exhibitions, weddings, and private events. It is also now used to exhibit the winners of the photography completion. |
|||
{{-}} |
|||
{{anchor|The Orangery}} |
|||
;Orangery |
|||
[[File:Kew Orangery 5138.JPG|thumb|Kew Orangery]] |
|||
The [[Orangery]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/garden-attractions-A-Z/orangery.htm |title=Visit Kew Gardens – The Orangery |publisher=Kew |date= |accessdate=24 April 2012}}</ref> was designed by [[Sir William Chambers]], and was completed in 1761. It measures {{Nowrap|28 m}} x {{Nowrap|10 m}}. After many changes of use, it is currently used as a restaurant. |
|||
{{-}} |
|||
;Palm House |
|||
[[File:Kew Gardens Palm House, London - July 2009.jpg|thumb|left|The Palm House and Parterre]] |
|||
The Palm House (1844–1848) was the result of cooperation between architect [[Decimus Burton]] and [[iron founder]] [[Richard Turner (iron-founder)|Richard Turner]],<ref name="houses_of_glass_p300" /> and continues upon the glass house design principles developed by [[John Claudius Loudon]]<ref name="houses_of_glass_p140" /><ref name="houses_of_glass_p296" /> and [[Joseph Paxton]].<ref name="houses_of_glass_p296" /> A space frame of wrought iron arches, held together by horizontal tubular structures containing long prestressed cables,<ref name="houses_of_glass_p296" /><ref name="houses_of_glass_p299" /> supports glass panes which were originally<ref name="houses_of_glass_p300" /> tinted green with copper oxide to reduce the significant heating effect. The 19m high central nave is surrounded by a walkway at 9m height, allowing visitors a closer look upon the palm tree crowns. In front of the Palm House on the east side are the [[Queen's Beasts]], ten statues of animals bearing shields. They are [[Portland stone]] replicas of originals done by [[James Woodford]] and were placed here in 1958.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brentforddockresidents.co.uk/sculptures/10queens.php|title=Local Sculptures – 10 Queen's Beasts|publisher=Brentford Dock Residents|accessdate=28 June 2014}}</ref> |
|||
{{-}} |
|||
;Princess of Wales Conservatory |
|||
[[File:Princess of Wales Conservatory, Kew Gardens - July 2009.jpg|thumb|[[Princess of Wales]] Conservatory]] |
|||
Kew's third major conservatory, the [[Princess of Wales]] Conservatory, designed by architect Gordon Wilson, was opened in 1987 by [[Diana, Princess of Wales]] in commemoration of her predecessor [[Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha|Augusta]]'s associations with Kew.<ref>Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.''[http://www.kew.org/heritage/people/augusta.html Augusta, Princess of Wales]''. Retrieved {{Nowrap|6 October}} 2005.</ref> In 1989 the conservatory received the Europa Nostra award for conservation.<ref name="ReferenceA">The History of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew</ref> The conservatory houses ten computer-controlled micro-climatic zones, with the bulk of the greenhouse volume composed of Dry Tropics and Wet Tropics plants. Significant numbers of [[orchid]]s, [[Nymphaeaceae|water lilies]], [[cacti]], [[lithops]], [[carnivorous plant]]s and [[bromeliad]]s are housed in the various zones. The cactus collection also extends outside the conservatory where some hardier species can be found. |
|||
The conservatory has an area of 4499 square metres. As it is designed to minimise the amount of energy taken to run it, the cooler zones are grouped around the outside and the more tropical zones are in the central area where heat is conserved. The glass roof extends down to the ground, giving the conservatory a distinctive appearance and helping to maximise the use of the sun's energy. |
|||
During the construction of the conservatory a time capsule was buried. It contains the seeds of basic crops and endangered plant species and key publications on conservation.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> |
|||
{{-}} |
|||
;Rhizotron |
|||
[[File:Kew Rhizotron 7487.JPG|thumb|left|The Rhizotron]] |
|||
A [[rhizotron]] opened at the same time as the "treetop walkway", giving visitors the opportunity to investigate what happens beneath the ground where trees grow. The rhizotron is essentially a single gallery containing a set of large bronze abstract castings which contain LCD screens that carry repeating loops of information about the life of trees. |
|||
{{-}} |
|||
;Temperate House |
|||
[[File:Inside the temperate house.JPG|thumb|right | Inside the Temperate House]] |
|||
The Temperate House, currently closed for restoration, is a greenhouse that has twice the floor area of the Palm House and is the world's largest surviving Victorian glass structure. When in use it contained plants and trees from all the temperate regions of the world. It was commissioned in 1859 and designed by architect [[Decimus Burton]] and ironfounder [[Richard Turner (iron-founder)|Richard Turner]]. Covering 4880 square metres, it rises to a height of 19 metres. Intended to accommodate Kew's expanding collection of hardy and temperate plants, it took 40 years to construct, during which time costs soared. |
|||
There is a viewing gallery in the central section from which visitors were able to look down on that part of the collection. |
|||
{{-}} |
|||
;Waterlily House |
|||
[[File:Kew Gardens Water Lily House.jpg|thumb|left|The Waterlily House]] |
|||
The Waterlily House is the hottest and most humid of the houses at Kew and contains a large pond with varieties of water lily, surrounded by a display of economically important heat-loving plants. It closes during the winter months. |
|||
It was built to house the [[Victoria amazonica]], the largest of the [[Nymphaeaceae]] family of water lilies. This plant was originally transported to Kew in phials of clean water and arrived in February 1849, after several prior attempts to transport seeds and roots had failed. Although various other members of the Nymphaeaceae family grew well, the house did not suit the Victoria, purportedly because of a poor ventilation system, and this specimen was moved to another, smaller, house. |
|||
The [[ironwork]] for this project was provided by [[Richard Turner (iron-founder)|Richard Turner]] and the initial construction was completed in 1852. The heat for the house was initially obtained by running a flue from the nearby Palm House but it was later equipped with its own boiler.<ref name="Waterlily ">{{cite web | url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/garden-attractions-A-Z/waterlily-house.htm | title=Waterlily House | publisher=Kew | work=Visit Kew Gardens | accessdate=11 June 2014}}</ref> |
|||
{{-}} |
|||
===Ornamental buildings=== |
|||
[[File:Kew Gardens Pagoda.jpg|thumb|The Pagoda]] |
|||
In the south-east corner of Kew Gardens stands the Great [[Pagoda]] (by [[Sir William Chambers]]), erected in 1762, from a design in imitation of the [[Chinese pagoda|Chinese ''Ta'']]. The lowest of the ten octagonal storeys is 49 feet ({{Nowrap|15 m}}) in diameter. From the base to the highest point is 163 feet ({{Nowrap|50 m)}}. |
|||
Each storey finishes with a projecting roof, after the Chinese manner, originally covered with ceramic tiles and adorned with large dragons; a story is still propagated that they were made of gold and were reputedly sold by George IV to settle his debts.<ref>{{cite web|author=Morley, James |url=http://www.kew.org/heritage/places/pagoda.html |title=''Kew, History & Heritage'' |publisher=Kew |date=1 August 2002 |accessdate=24 April 2012}}</ref> In fact the dragons were made of wood painted gold, and simply rotted away with the ravages of time. The walls of the building are composed of brick. The staircase, 253 steps, is in the centre of the building. The Pagoda was closed to the public for many years, but was reopened for the summer months of 2006 and is now open permanently. During the [[World War II|Second World War]] holes were cut in each floor to allow for drop-testing of model bombs.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=Pse_A9MY-LwC&pg=RA4-PA320&dq=kews+pagoda+imitated&as_brr=0&sig=ACfU3U3duM8K50O3HrPrU43zG-IS1faciA Google Books] {{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref> |
|||
[[File:Kew Gardens Japanese Gateway.jpg|thumb|left|The Japanese Gateway (Chokushi-Mon)]] |
|||
Built for the [[Japan-British Exhibition (1910)]] and moved to Kew in 1911, the Chokushi-Mon ("Imperial Envoy's Gateway") is a four-fifths scale replica of the [[karamon]] (gateway) of the [[Nishi Honganji|Nishi Hongan-ji]] temple in [[Kyoto]]. It lies about {{Nowrap|140 m}} west of the Pagoda and is surrounded by a reconstruction of a traditional Japanese garden. |
|||
[[File:Kew Gardens Minka House.jpg|thumb|The [[Machiya|Minka House]]]] |
|||
Following the Japan 2001 festival,<ref name="Japan 2001">{{cite news | url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2001/02/15/news/japan-2001-fest-set-to-take-center-stage-in-u-k/#.UuTIBbRFDDA | title=‘Japan 2001′ fest set to take center stage in U.K. | work=[[The Japan Times]] | date=15 February 2001 | accessdate=26 January 2014}}</ref> Kew acquired a Japanese wooden house called a [[Machiya|minka]]. It was originally erected in around 1900 in a suburb of [[Okazaki, Aichi|Okazaki]]. Japanese craftsmen reassembled the framework and British builders who had worked on the [[Shakespeare's Globe|Globe Theatre]] added the mud wall panels. |
|||
Work on the house started on 7 May 2001 and, when the framework was completed on {{Nowrap|21 May}}, a Japanese ceremony was held to mark what was considered an auspicious occasion. Work on the building of the house was completed in November 2001 but the internal artefacts were not all in place until 2006. |
|||
The Minka house is located within the bamboo collection in the west central part of the gardens. |
|||
[[File:Kew Gardens Queen Charlottes Cottage.jpg|thumb|left|Queen Charlotte's Cottage]] |
|||
Within the conservation area is a cottage that was given to [[Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Queen Charlotte]] as a wedding present on her marriage to [[George III of the United Kingdom|George III]]. It has been restored by Historic Royal Palaces and is separately administered by them. |
|||
It is open to the public on weekends and bank holidays during the summer. |
|||
{{-}} |
|||
===Kew Palace=== |
|||
{{Main|Kew Palace}} |
|||
[[File:Kew Palace.jpg|thumb|left|[[Kew Palace|The Palace at Kew]], with the sundial in the foreground]] |
|||
Kew Palace is the smallest of the British royal palaces. It was built by [[Samuel Fortrey]], a Dutch merchant in around 1631. It was later purchased by [[George III]]. The construction method is known as [[Flemish bond]] and involves laying the bricks with long and short sides alternating. This and the gabled front give the construction a Dutch appearance. |
|||
To the rear of the building is the "Queen's Garden" which includes a collection of plants believed to have medicinal qualities. Only plants that were extant in England by the 17th century are grown in the garden. |
|||
The building underwent significant restoration before being reopened to the public in 2006. |
|||
It is administered separately from Kew Gardens, by [[Historic Royal Palaces]]. |
|||
In front of the palace is a [[sundial]], which was given to Kew Gardens in 1959 to commemorate a royal visit. It was sculpted by Martin Holden and is based on an earlier sculpture by [[Thomas Tompion]], a celebrated 17th century clockmaker.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pmsa.org.uk/pmsa-database/3931/ |title=Kew Gardens Sundial|work=Public Monuments and Sculpture Association|accessdate=13 July 2014}}</ref> |
|||
{{-}} |
|||
===Galleries and museum=== |
|||
;Shirley Sherwood Gallery |
|||
[[File:Kew Gardens Sherwood Gallery.jpg|thumb|left|The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanic Art]] |
|||
The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanic Art opened in April 2008, and holds paintings from Kew's and [[Shirley Sherwood|Dr Shirley Sherwood's]] collections, many of which had never been displayed to the public before. It features paintings by artists such as [[Georg Dionysius Ehret|Georg D. Ehret]], the [[Franz Bauer|Bauer brothers]], [[Pierre-Joseph Redouté]] and [[Walter Hood Fitch]]. The paintings and drawings are cycled on a six-monthly basis. The gallery is linked to the Marianne North Gallery (see above). |
|||
Near the Palm House is a building known as "Museum No. 1" (even though it is the only museum on the site), which was designed by [[Decimus Burton]] and opened in 1857. Housing Kew's economic botany collections including tools, ornaments, clothing, food and medicines, its aim was to illustrate human dependence on plants. The building was refurbished in 1998. The upper two floors are now an education centre and the ground floor houses the "Plants+People" exhibition which highlights the variety of plants and the ways that people use them. |
|||
Admission to the galleries and museum is free after paying admission to the gardens. The International Garden Photographer of the Year Exhibition is an annual event with an indoor display of entries during the summer months. |
|||
[[File:Kew Gardens Marian North Gallery.jpg|right|thumb|The Marianne North Gallery of Botanic Art]] |
|||
The Marianne North Gallery was built in the 1880s to house the paintings of [[Marianne North]], an MP's daughter who travelled alone to North and South America, South Africa and many parts of Asia, at a time when women rarely did so, to paint plants. The gallery has 832 of her paintings. The paintings were left to Kew by the artist and a condition of the bequest is that the layout of the paintings in the gallery may not be altered. |
|||
The gallery had suffered considerable structural degradation since its creation and during a period from 2008 to 2009 major restoration and refurbishment took place. During the time the gallery was closed the opportunity was also taken to restore the paintings to their original condition. The gallery reopened in October 2009. |
|||
The gallery originally opened in 1882 and is the only permanent exhibition in Great Britain dedicated to the work of one woman. |
|||
==Plant collections== |
|||
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2014}} |
|||
[[File:Orchid flowers and pitchers at Kew - geograph.org.uk - 1156285.jpg|thumb|left|Part of the "Tropical Extravaganza" for Kew's 250th anniversary in 2009]] |
|||
The plant collections include the Aquatic Garden, which is near the Jodrell laboratory. The Aquatic Garden, which celebrated its centenary in 2009, provides conditions for aquatic and marginal plants. The large central pool holds a selection of summer-flowering water lilies and the corner pools contain plants such as reed mace, bulrushes, [[phragmite]]s and smaller floating aquatic species. |
|||
The Arboretum, which covers over half of the total area of the site, contains over 14,000 trees of many thousands of varieties. The Bonsai Collection is housed in a dedicated greenhouse near the Jodrell laboratory. The Cacti Collection is housed in and around the Princess of Wales Conservatory. The Carnivorous Plant collection is housed in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. The Grass Garden was created on its current site in the early 1980s to display ornamental and economic grasses; it was redesigned and replanted between 1994 and 1997. It is currently undergoing a further redesign and planting. Over 580 species of grasses are displayed. |
|||
The Herbaceous Grounds (Order Beds) were devised in the late 1860s by Sir Joseph Hooker, then director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, so that botany students could learn to recognise plants and experience at first hand the diversity of the plant kingdom. The collection is organised into family groups. Its name arose because plant families were known as natural orders in the 19th century. Over the main path is a rose pergola built in 1959 to mark the bicentennial of the Gardens. It supports climber and rambling roses selected for the length and profusion of flowering. |
|||
The Orchid Collection is housed in two climate zones within the Princess of Wales Conservatory. To maintain an interesting display the plants are changed regularly so that those on view are generally flowering. The Rock Garden, originally built of limestone in 1882, is now constructed of Sussex sandstone from [[West Hoathly]], [[Sussex]]. The rock garden is divided into six geographic regions: Europe, Mediterranean and Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, North America, and South America. There are currently 2,480 different "accessions" growing in the garden. |
|||
The Rose Garden, based upon original designs by William Nesfield, is behind the Palm House, and was replanted between 2009 and 2010 using the original design from 1848. It is intended as an ornamental display rather than a collection of a particularly large number of varieties. Other collections and specialist areas include the [[rhododendron]] dell, the [[azalea]] garden, the [[bamboo]] garden, the [[juniper]] collection, the [[berberis]] dell, the [[lilac]] garden, the [[magnolia]] collection, and the [[fern]] collection. |
|||
{{Wide image|Kew Gardens 6262-79.jpg|800px|<center>The Palm House and lake to Victoria Gate</center>|100%}} |
|||
The world's smallest water-lily, ''[[Nymphaea thermarum]]'', was saved from extinction when it was grown from seed at Kew, in 2009.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10124250.stm|title=Waterlily saved from extinction|last=Ghosh|first=Pallab|date=18 May 2010|work=[[BBC News]]|accessdate=19 May 2010}}</ref><ref name="WGI">{{cite journal| last=Magdalena|first=Carlos|date=November 2009|title=The world's tiniest waterlily doesn't grow in water!|journal=Water Gardeners International|volume=4|issue=4|url=http://www.watergardenersinternational.org/journal/4-4/carlos/thermarum_gallery1.html|accessdate=19 May 2010}}</ref> |
|||
==Herbarium== |
|||
The Kew [[herbarium]] is one of the largest in the world with approximately {{Nowrap|7 million}} specimens used primarily for taxonomic study.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/collections/herbcol.html |title=Kew website, Herbarium Collections |publisher=Kew |date= |accessdate=24 April 2012}}</ref> The herbarium is rich in types for all regions of the world, especially the tropics. |
|||
==Library and archives== |
|||
The library and archives at Kew are one of the world's largest botanical collections, with over half a million items, including books, botanical illustrations, photographs, letters and manuscripts, periodicals, and maps. The Jodrell Library has been merged with the Economic Botany and Mycology Libraries and all are now housed in the Jodrell Laboratory. |
|||
==Forensic horticulture== |
|||
Kew provides advice and guidance to police forces around the world where plant material may provide important clues or evidence in cases. In one famous case the forensic science department at Kew were able to ascertain that the contents of the stomach of a headless corpse found in the river [[Thames]] contained a highly toxic African bean.<ref name="Jodrell">{{cite web|url= http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/explore/attractions/jodrell-laboratory|title=Jodrell Laboratory|publisher=Kew |date= |accessdate=17 June 2014}}</ref> |
|||
==Economic Botany== |
|||
[[File:JodLabKew.jpg|thumb|View of the Jodrell Laboratory across part of the grass collection]] |
|||
The Sustainable Uses of Plants group (formerly the Centre for [[Economic Botany]]), focus on the uses of plants in the United Kingdom and the world's arid and semi-arid zones. The Centre is also responsible for curation of the Economic Botany Collection, which contains more than 90,000 botanical raw materials and ethnographic artefacts, some of which are on display in the Plants + People exhibit in Museum No. 1. The Centre is now located in the Jodrell Laboratory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/collections/ecbot/ |title=Economic Botany Collection |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|accessdate=17 June 2014}}</ref> |
|||
==Jodrell Laboratory== |
|||
The original Jodrell laboratory, named after Mr T. J. Phillips Jodrell who funded it, was established in 1877 and consisted of four research rooms and an office. Originally research was conducted into plant physiology but this was gradually superseded by botanical research. In 1934 an artists' studio and photographic darkroom were added, highlighting the importance of botanical illustration. In 1965, following increasing overcrowding, a new building was constructed and research expanded into seed collection for plant conservation. The biochemistry section also expanded to facilitate research into secondary compounds that could be derived from plants for medicinal purposes. In 1994 the centre was expanded again, tripling in size, and a decade later it was further expanded by the addition of the Wolfson Wing.<ref name="Jodrell"/> |
|||
==Kew Constabulary== |
|||
{{main|Kew Constabulary}} |
|||
The gardens have their own police force, [[Kew Constabulary]], which has been in operation since 1847.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2539590/Kewdunnit-As-priceless-lily-stolen-botanical-gardens-thieves-target-prize-plants.html|author=Alice-Azania Jarvis|title=Kewdunnit! As a priceless lily is stolen from the botanical gardens, will thieves target your prize plants?|publisher=Dailymail.co.uk|date=15 January 2014}}</ref> Formerly known as the Royal Botanic Gardens Constabulary, it is a small, specialised [[constabulary]] of two sergeants and 12 officers,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/how-many-policemen-does-it-take-to-guard-an-orchid-704700.html|title=How many policemen does it take to guard an orchid?|author=Michael McCarthy|date= 30 January 2001|work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> who patrol the grounds in a green painted electric buggy.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2142632.stm|title=Police ridiculed over 'milkfloat'|date=21 July 2002|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> The Kew Constables are [[Police oath|attested]] under section 3 of the Parks Regulation Act 1872, which gives them the same powers as the [[Metropolitan Police]] within the land belonging to the gardens.<ref name="Parks Regs">{{cite web | url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/35-36/15/section/3 | title=Parks Regulation Act 1872: 3 Definition of "park-keeper" |
|||
Section 3| publisher=http://www.legislation.gov.uk | accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/35-36/15/section/7 | title=Parks Regulation Act 1872: 7 Powers, duties, and privileges of park-keeper|publisher=http://www.legislation.gov.uk | accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> |
|||
==Media== |
|||
A number of films, documentaries and short videos have been made about Kew,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/discover/videos|title=Kew: Videos|publisher=Kew.org}}</ref> including three series of ''A Year at Kew'', filmed for BBC television and released on DVD;<ref name="Year">{{cite news | url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qjcf/episodes/guide | title=A Year at Kew | work=Episode guide | publisher= [[BBC]]|year=2007 | accessdate=26 January 2014}}</ref> ''Cruickshank on Kew: The Garden That Changed the World'', a 2009 BBC documentary exploring the history of the relationship between Kew Gardens and the [[British Empire]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00k7nww |title=BBC Two: Cruickshank on Kew: The Garden That Changed the World |publisher=[[BBC]]|date=10 December 2011 |accessdate=24 April 2012}}</ref> [[David Attenborough]]'s 2012 ''[[Kingdom of Plants 3D]]'';<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/discover/videos/kingdom-plants-david-attenborough|title=Kew: Kingdom of Plants with David Attenborough|publisher=Kew.org}}</ref> a 2003 episode of [[Time Team]] that searched for the remains of George III's palace;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0723698/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3|title=IMDb: Time Team: Season 10, Episode 9 Kew Gardens, London|publisher=IMDb.com}}</ref> and a 2004 episode of ''Art of the Garden'' which looked at the building of the Great Palm House in the 1840s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765868/?ref_=fn_al_tt_6|title=IMDb: Art of the Garden: Season 1, Episode 2 The Great Palm House at Kew |publisher=IMDb.com}}</ref> |
|||
[[Virginia Woolf]] published her short story "[[Kew Gardens (short story)|Kew Gardens]]" in 1921, which gives brief descriptions of four groups of people as they pass by a flowerbed.<ref name="Early fiction">{{cite web | url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/647786/Virginia-Woolf/260662/Early-fiction#ref927535 | title=Virginia Woolf: early fiction | work=[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]] | date=2 December 2013 | accessdate=26 June 2014 | author=Reid, Panthea | pages=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/woolf/monday/monday-07.html|title=Kew Gardens|author=Virginia Woolf|date=1921}}</ref> |
|||
==Transport== |
|||
[[Kew Gardens station (London)|Kew Gardens station]], a [[London Underground]] and [[National Rail]] station opened in 1869 and served by both the [[District line]] and the [[London Overground]] services on the [[North London Line]], is the nearest train station to the gardens - only 400 metres along Lichfield Road from the Victoria Gate entrance.<ref name=transport>{{cite web|url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/plan-your-visit/getting-here|publisher=Kew|title=Getting here}}</ref> Built by the [[London and South Western Railway]], the [[English Heritage]] [[listed building]] is one of the few remaining original 19th-century stations on the North London Line, and the only station on the London Underground with a pub on the platform (though the platform entrance is now closed off).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.tapontheline.co.uk/history|title=Tap on the Line: History|publisher=Fullers}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=509389|publisher=[[English Heritage]]|title=Kew Gardens Station}}</ref> [[Kew Bridge station]], on the other side of the Thames, 800 metres from the Elizabeth Gate entrance via [[Kew Bridge]], is served by [[South West Trains]] from [[Clapham Junction]] and [[London Waterloo station|Waterloo]].<ref name=transport/> |
|||
[[London Buses route 65]], between Ealing Broadway and Kingston, stops near the Lion Gate and Victoria Gate entrances;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/065.htm |title= Route 65|publisher= London Bus Routes|accessdate= 19 July 2012}}</ref> [[London Buses route 391|route 391]], between Fulham and Richmond, stops near Kew Gardens station;<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/391.htm|title=Route 391|publisher= London Bus Routes|accessdate= 19 July 2012}}</ref> while routes [[London Buses route 237|237]] and [[London Buses route 267|267]] stop at Kew Bridge station.<ref name=transport/> |
|||
[[London River Services]] operate from Westminster during the summer, stopping at [[Kew Pier]], 500 metres from Elizabeth Gate.<ref name=transport/> There are cycle racks just inside the Victoria Gate, Elizabeth Gate and Brentford Gate entrances, and a 300-space car park outside Brentford Gate, reached via Ferry Lane, as well as some free though restricted street parking on Kew Road.<ref name=transport/> |
|||
==See also== |
|||
{{Portal|Biology|Gardening}} |
|||
* [[Royal Botanic Gardens Kew]], which manages Kew Gardens and Wakehurst Place |
|||
* [[Wakehurst Place]] |
|||
* [[:Category:Botanists active in Kew Gardens|Botanists active at Kew Gardens]] |
|||
* [[Joseph Dalton Hooker]], who succeeded his father as director in 1865 |
|||
* [[The Great Plant Hunt]] – a primary school science initiative created by Kew Gardens, commissioned and funded by the [[Wellcome Trust]] |
|||
* [[Index Kewensis]], a massive index of plant names started and maintained by Kew Gardens |
|||
* [[Kew Bulletin]] |
|||
==References== |
|||
{{Reflist|30em|refs= |
|||
<ref name="houses_of_glass_p300">Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sortory, Barna. ''Houses of Glass, A Nineteenth-Century Building Type''. The MIT Press, 1990 (p300)</ref><ref name="houses_of_glass_p140">Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sortory, Barna. ''Houses of Glass, A Nineteenth-Century Building Type''. The MIT Press, 1990 (p140)</ref><ref name="houses_of_glass_p296">Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sortory, Barna. ''Houses of Glass, A Nineteenth-Century Building Type''. The MIT Press, 1990 (p296)</ref><ref name="houses_of_glass_p299">Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sortory, Barna. ''Houses of Glass, A Nineteenth-Century Building Type''. The MIT Press, 1990 (p299)</ref> |
|||
}} |
|||
==External links== |
|||
* [http://www.kew.org Kew.org] Official website |
|||
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20050213100955/http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/tv_and_radio/yearatkew_index.shtml BBC ''A Year at Kew'' documentary behind the scenes at Kew Gardens] |
|||
{{Commons-inline|Category:Kew Gardens|Kew Gardens}} |
|||
{{Navboxes| state = expanded|list1= |
|||
{{Kew Gardens}} |
|||
{{Parks and open spaces in London}} |
|||
{{LB Richmond upon Thames}} |
|||
{{World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom}} |
|||
{{London landmarks}} |
|||
}} |
|||
[[Category:1759 establishments in England]] |
|||
[[Category:Art museums and galleries in London]] |
|||
[[Category:Botanical gardens in London]] |
|||
[[Category:Botanical research institutes]] |
|||
[[Category:Charities based in London]] |
|||
[[Category:Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (United Kingdom)]] |
|||
[[Category:Exempt charities]] |
|||
[[Category:Flora of the United Kingdom]] |
|||
[[Category:Gardens by Capability Brown]] |
|||
[[Category:Gardens in London]] |
|||
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in London]] |
|||
[[Category:Greenhouses]] |
|||
[[Category:Japanese gardens in England]] |
|||
[[Category:Kew, London]] |
|||
[[Category:Museums in Richmond upon Thames]] |
|||
[[Category:Natural history museums in England]] |
|||
[[Category:Non-departmental public bodies of the United Kingdom government]] |
|||
[[Category:Organisations based in Richmond upon Thames]] |
|||
[[Category:Parks and open spaces in Richmond upon Thames]] |
|||
[[Category:Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew| ]] |
|||
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in London]] |
Revision as of 11:09, 14 September 2014
Kew Gardens | |
---|---|
![]() Kew Gardens Temperate House from the Pagoda | |
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 526: Unable to find the specified location map definition: "Module:Location map/data/Kew Map.jpg" does not exist. | |
Type | Botanical |
Location | London, England |
Coordinates | 51°28.480′N 0°17.728′W / 51.474667°N 0.295467°W |
Area | 121 hectares (300 acres) |
Opened | 1759 |
Visitors | more than 1.35 million per year |
Species | > 30,000 |
Website | www |
![]() | |
Criteria | Cultural: ii, iii, iv |
Reference | 1084 |
Inscription | 2003 (27th Session) |
Kew Gardens is the world's largest collection of living plants. Founded in 1840 from the exotic garden at Kew Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, UK, its living collections include more than 30,000 different kinds of plants, while the herbarium, which is one of the largest in the world, has over seven million preserved plant 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. In 2003, the gardens were put on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
Kew Gardens, together with the botanic gardens at Wakehurst Place in Sussex are managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (brand name Kew), an internationally important botanical research and education institution that employs 750 staff, and is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.[1] Its chief executive is the current Director, Richard Deverell.[2]
The Kew site, which has been dated as formally starting in 1759,[3] though can be traced back to the exotic garden at Kew Park, formed by Lord Capel John of Tewkesbury, consists of 121 hectares (300 acres)[4] of gardens and botanical glasshouses, four Grade I listed buildings and 36 Grade II listed structures, all set in an internationally significant landscape.[5]
Kew Gardens has its own police force, Kew Constabulary, which has been in operation since 1847.
History
Kew, the area in which Kew Gardens are situated, consists mainly of the gardens themselves and a small surrounding community.[6] Royal residences in the area which would later influence the layout and construction of the gardens began in 1299 when Edward I moved his court to a manor house in neighbouring Richmond (then called Sheen).[6] That manor house was later abandoned; however, Henry V built Sheen Palace in 1501, which, under the name Richmond Palace, became a permanent royal residence for Henry VII.[7][8][9] Around the start of the 16th century courtiers attending Richmond Palace settled in Kew and built large houses.[6] Early royal residences in 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.[6] Around 1600, the land that would become the gardens was known as Kew Field, a large field strip farmed by one of the new private estates.[10][11]
The exotic garden at Kew Park, formed by Lord Capel John 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 1722.[12] William Chambers built several garden structures, including the lofty Chinese pagoda built in 1761 which still remains. George III enriched the gardens, aided by William Aiton and Sir Joseph Banks.[13] The old Kew Park (by then renamed the White House), was demolished in 1802. The "Dutch House" adjoining was purchased by George III in 1781 as a nursery for the royal children. It is a plain brick structure now known as Kew Palace.
Some early plants came from the walled garden established by William Coys at Stubbers in North Ockendon.[14] The collections grew somewhat haphazardly until the appointment of the first collector, Francis Masson, in 1771.[15] Capability Brown, who became England's most renowned landscape architect, applied for the position of master gardener at Kew, and was rejected.[16]
In 1840 the gardens were adopted as a national botanical garden, in large part due to the efforts of the Royal Horticultural Society and its president William Cavendish.[17] Under Kew's director, William Hooker, the gardens were increased to 30 hectares (75 acres) and the pleasure grounds, or arboretum, extended to 109 hectares (270 acres), and later to its present size of 121 hectares (300 acres). The first curator was John Smith.
The Palm House was built by architect Decimus Burton and iron-maker Richard Turner between 1844 and 1848, and was the first large-scale structural use of wrought iron. It is considered " the world's most important surviving Victorian glass and iron structure."[18][19] The structure's panes of glass are all hand-blown. The Temperate House, which is twice as large as the Palm House, followed later in the 19th century. It is now the largest Victorian glasshouse in existence. Kew was the location of the successful effort in the 19th century to propagate rubber trees for cultivation outside South America.
In February 1913, the Tea House was burned down by suffragettes Olive Wharry and Lilian Lenton during a series of arson attacks in London.[20] Kew Gardens lost hundreds of trees in the Great Storm of 1987.[21] From 1959 to 2007 Kew Gardens had the tallest flagpole in Britain. Made from a single Douglas-fir from Canada, it was given to mark both the centenary of the Canadian Province of British Columbia and the bicentenary of Kew Gardens. The flagpole was removed after damage by weather and woodpeckers.[22]
In July 2003, the gardens were put on the list of World Heritage Sites[3] by UNESCO.
Features
- Treetop walkway
A new treetop walkway opened in 2008.[23] This walkway is 18 metres (59 ft) high and 200 metres (660 ft) long and takes visitors into the tree canopy of a woodland glade. Visitors can ascend and descend by stairs or by a lift. The floor of the walkway is made from perforated metal and flexes as it is walked upon. The entire structure sways in the wind.
The accompanying image shows a section of the walkway and the steel supports that were designed to rust to a tree-like appearance to help the walkway fit in with its surroundings.
A short film detailing the construction of the walkway is available online.[24]
- Sackler Crossing
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Kew_Gradens_Sackler_Crossing.jpg/220px-Kew_Gradens_Sackler_Crossing.jpg)
The Sackler Crossing bridge, made of granite and bronze, opened in May 2006. Designed by Buro Happold and John Pawson, it crosses the lake and is named in honour of philanthropists Dr Mortimer and Theresa Sackler.
The minimalist-styled bridge is designed as a sweeping double curve of black granite. The sides of the bridge are formed of bronze posts that give the impression, from certain angles, of forming a solid wall whereas from others, and to those on the bridge, they are clearly individual entities that allow a view of the water beyond.
The bridge forms part of a path designed to encourage visitors to visit more of the gardens than had hitherto been popular and connects the two art galleries, via the Temperate and Evolution Houses and the woodland glade, to the Minka House and the Bamboo Garden.
The crossing won a special award from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2008.
- Vehicular tour
Kew Explorer is a service that takes a circular route around the gardens, provided by two 72-seater road trains that are fuelled by Calor Gas to minimise pollution. A commentary is provided by the driver and there are several stops.
A map of the gardens is available on the Kew Gardens website.[25]
- Compost heap
Kew has one of the largest compost heaps in Europe, made from green waste from the gardens and the waste from the stables of the Household Cavalry. The compost is mainly used in the gardens, but on occasion has been auctioned as part of a fundraising event for the gardens.[26]
The compost heap is in an area of the gardens not accessible to the public, but a viewing platform, made of wood which had been illegally traded but seized by Customs officers in HMRC, has been erected to allow visitors to observe the heap as it goes through its cycle.[26]
- Guided walks
Free tours of the gardens are conducted daily by trained volunteers.
Plant houses
- Alpine House
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Kew_Gardens_Alpine_House.jpg/220px-Kew_Gardens_Alpine_House.jpg)
In March 2006, the Davies Alpine House opened, the third version of an alpine house since 1887. Although only 16 metres long the apex of the roof arch extends to a height of 10 metres in order to allow the natural airflow of a building of this shape to aid in the all-important ventilation required for the type of plants to be housed.
The new house features a set of automatically operated blinds that prevent it overheating when the sun is too hot for the plants together with a system that blows a continuous stream of cool air over the plants. The main design aim of the house is to allow maximum light transmission. To this end the glass is of a special low iron type that allows 90 per cent of the ultraviolet light in sunlight to pass. It is attached by high tension steel cables so that no light is obstructed by traditional glazing bars.
To conserve energy the cooling air is not refrigerated but is cooled by being passed through a labyrinth of pipes buried under the house at a depth where the temperature remains suitable all year round. The house is designed so that the maximum temperature should not exceed 20 °C (68 °F).
Kew's collection of Alpine plants (defined as those that grow above the tree-line in their locale – ground level at the poles rising to over 2,000 metres (6,562 feet)), extends to over 7000. As the Alpine House can only house around 200 at a time the ones on show are regularly rotated.
- Nash Conservatory
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Nash_conservatory_7047r.jpg/220px-Nash_conservatory_7047r.jpg)
Originally designed for Buckingham Palace, this was moved to Kew in 1836 by King William IV. With an abundance of natural light, the building is used various exhibitions, weddings, and private events. It is also now used to exhibit the winners of the photography completion.
- Orangery
The Orangery[27] was designed by Sir William Chambers, and was completed in 1761. It measures 28 m x 10 m. After many changes of use, it is currently used as a restaurant.
- Palm House
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Kew_Gardens_Palm_House%2C_London_-_July_2009.jpg/220px-Kew_Gardens_Palm_House%2C_London_-_July_2009.jpg)
The Palm House (1844–1848) was the result of cooperation between architect Decimus Burton and iron founder Richard Turner,[28] and continues upon the glass house design principles developed by John Claudius Loudon[29][30] and Joseph Paxton.[30] A space frame of wrought iron arches, held together by horizontal tubular structures containing long prestressed cables,[30][31] supports glass panes which were originally[28] tinted green with copper oxide to reduce the significant heating effect. The 19m high central nave is surrounded by a walkway at 9m height, allowing visitors a closer look upon the palm tree crowns. In front of the Palm House on the east side are the Queen's Beasts, ten statues of animals bearing shields. They are Portland stone replicas of originals done by James Woodford and were placed here in 1958.[32]
- Princess of Wales Conservatory
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Princess_of_Wales_Conservatory%2C_Kew_Gardens_-_July_2009.jpg/220px-Princess_of_Wales_Conservatory%2C_Kew_Gardens_-_July_2009.jpg)
Kew's third major conservatory, the Princess of Wales Conservatory, designed by architect Gordon Wilson, was opened in 1987 by Diana, Princess of Wales in commemoration of her predecessor Augusta's associations with Kew.[33] In 1989 the conservatory received the Europa Nostra award for conservation.[34] The conservatory houses ten computer-controlled micro-climatic zones, with the bulk of the greenhouse volume composed of Dry Tropics and Wet Tropics plants. Significant numbers of orchids, water lilies, cacti, lithops, carnivorous plants and bromeliads are housed in the various zones. The cactus collection also extends outside the conservatory where some hardier species can be found.
The conservatory has an area of 4499 square metres. As it is designed to minimise the amount of energy taken to run it, the cooler zones are grouped around the outside and the more tropical zones are in the central area where heat is conserved. The glass roof extends down to the ground, giving the conservatory a distinctive appearance and helping to maximise the use of the sun's energy.
During the construction of the conservatory a time capsule was buried. It contains the seeds of basic crops and endangered plant species and key publications on conservation.[34]
- Rhizotron
A rhizotron opened at the same time as the "treetop walkway", giving visitors the opportunity to investigate what happens beneath the ground where trees grow. The rhizotron is essentially a single gallery containing a set of large bronze abstract castings which contain LCD screens that carry repeating loops of information about the life of trees.
- Temperate House
The Temperate House, currently closed for restoration, is a greenhouse that has twice the floor area of the Palm House and is the world's largest surviving Victorian glass structure. When in use it contained plants and trees from all the temperate regions of the world. It was commissioned in 1859 and designed by architect Decimus Burton and ironfounder Richard Turner. Covering 4880 square metres, it rises to a height of 19 metres. Intended to accommodate Kew's expanding collection of hardy and temperate plants, it took 40 years to construct, during which time costs soared.
There is a viewing gallery in the central section from which visitors were able to look down on that part of the collection.
- Waterlily House
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Kew_Gardens_Water_Lily_House.jpg/220px-Kew_Gardens_Water_Lily_House.jpg)
The Waterlily House is the hottest and most humid of the houses at Kew and contains a large pond with varieties of water lily, surrounded by a display of economically important heat-loving plants. It closes during the winter months.
It was built to house the Victoria amazonica, the largest of the Nymphaeaceae family of water lilies. This plant was originally transported to Kew in phials of clean water and arrived in February 1849, after several prior attempts to transport seeds and roots had failed. Although various other members of the Nymphaeaceae family grew well, the house did not suit the Victoria, purportedly because of a poor ventilation system, and this specimen was moved to another, smaller, house.
The ironwork for this project was provided by Richard Turner and the initial construction was completed in 1852. The heat for the house was initially obtained by running a flue from the nearby Palm House but it was later equipped with its own boiler.[35]
Ornamental buildings
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Kew_Gardens_Pagoda.jpg/220px-Kew_Gardens_Pagoda.jpg)
In the south-east corner of Kew Gardens stands the Great Pagoda (by Sir William Chambers), erected in 1762, from a design in imitation of the Chinese Ta. The lowest of the ten octagonal storeys is 49 feet (15 m) in diameter. From the base to the highest point is 163 feet (50 m).
Each storey finishes with a projecting roof, after the Chinese manner, originally covered with ceramic tiles and adorned with large dragons; a story is still propagated that they were made of gold and were reputedly sold by George IV to settle his debts.[36] In fact the dragons were made of wood painted gold, and simply rotted away with the ravages of time. The walls of the building are composed of brick. The staircase, 253 steps, is in the centre of the building. The Pagoda was closed to the public for many years, but was reopened for the summer months of 2006 and is now open permanently. During the Second World War holes were cut in each floor to allow for drop-testing of model bombs.[37]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Kew_Gardens_Japanese_Gateway.jpg/220px-Kew_Gardens_Japanese_Gateway.jpg)
Built for the Japan-British Exhibition (1910) and moved to Kew in 1911, the Chokushi-Mon ("Imperial Envoy's Gateway") is a four-fifths scale replica of the karamon (gateway) of the Nishi Hongan-ji temple in Kyoto. It lies about 140 m west of the Pagoda and is surrounded by a reconstruction of a traditional Japanese garden.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Kew_Gardens_Minka_House.jpg/220px-Kew_Gardens_Minka_House.jpg)
Following the Japan 2001 festival,[38] Kew acquired a Japanese wooden house called a minka. It was originally erected in around 1900 in a suburb of Okazaki. Japanese craftsmen reassembled the framework and British builders who had worked on the Globe Theatre added the mud wall panels.
Work on the house started on 7 May 2001 and, when the framework was completed on 21 May, a Japanese ceremony was held to mark what was considered an auspicious occasion. Work on the building of the house was completed in November 2001 but the internal artefacts were not all in place until 2006.
The Minka house is located within the bamboo collection in the west central part of the gardens.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Kew_Gardens_Queen_Charlottes_Cottage.jpg/220px-Kew_Gardens_Queen_Charlottes_Cottage.jpg)
Within the conservation area is a cottage that was given to Queen Charlotte as a wedding present on her marriage to George III. It has been restored by Historic Royal Palaces and is separately administered by them.
It is open to the public on weekends and bank holidays during the summer.
Kew Palace
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Kew_Palace.jpg/220px-Kew_Palace.jpg)
Kew Palace is the smallest of the British royal palaces. It was built by Samuel Fortrey, a Dutch merchant in around 1631. It was later purchased by George III. The construction method is known as Flemish bond and involves laying the bricks with long and short sides alternating. This and the gabled front give the construction a Dutch appearance.
To the rear of the building is the "Queen's Garden" which includes a collection of plants believed to have medicinal qualities. Only plants that were extant in England by the 17th century are grown in the garden.
The building underwent significant restoration before being reopened to the public in 2006.
It is administered separately from Kew Gardens, by Historic Royal Palaces.
In front of the palace is a sundial, which was given to Kew Gardens in 1959 to commemorate a royal visit. It was sculpted by Martin Holden and is based on an earlier sculpture by Thomas Tompion, a celebrated 17th century clockmaker.[39]
Galleries and museum
- Shirley Sherwood Gallery
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Kew_Gardens_Sherwood_Gallery.jpg/220px-Kew_Gardens_Sherwood_Gallery.jpg)
The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanic Art opened in April 2008, and holds paintings from Kew's and Dr Shirley Sherwood's collections, many of which had never been displayed to the public before. It features paintings by artists such as Georg D. Ehret, the Bauer brothers, Pierre-Joseph Redouté and Walter Hood Fitch. The paintings and drawings are cycled on a six-monthly basis. The gallery is linked to the Marianne North Gallery (see above).
Near the Palm House is a building known as "Museum No. 1" (even though it is the only museum on the site), which was designed by Decimus Burton and opened in 1857. Housing Kew's economic botany collections including tools, ornaments, clothing, food and medicines, its aim was to illustrate human dependence on plants. The building was refurbished in 1998. The upper two floors are now an education centre and the ground floor houses the "Plants+People" exhibition which highlights the variety of plants and the ways that people use them.
Admission to the galleries and museum is free after paying admission to the gardens. The International Garden Photographer of the Year Exhibition is an annual event with an indoor display of entries during the summer months.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Kew_Gardens_Marian_North_Gallery.jpg/220px-Kew_Gardens_Marian_North_Gallery.jpg)
The Marianne North Gallery was built in the 1880s to house the paintings of Marianne North, an MP's daughter who travelled alone to North and South America, South Africa and many parts of Asia, at a time when women rarely did so, to paint plants. The gallery has 832 of her paintings. The paintings were left to Kew by the artist and a condition of the bequest is that the layout of the paintings in the gallery may not be altered.
The gallery had suffered considerable structural degradation since its creation and during a period from 2008 to 2009 major restoration and refurbishment took place. During the time the gallery was closed the opportunity was also taken to restore the paintings to their original condition. The gallery reopened in October 2009.
The gallery originally opened in 1882 and is the only permanent exhibition in Great Britain dedicated to the work of one woman.
Plant collections
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Orchid_flowers_and_pitchers_at_Kew_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1156285.jpg/220px-Orchid_flowers_and_pitchers_at_Kew_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1156285.jpg)
The plant collections include the Aquatic Garden, which is near the Jodrell laboratory. The Aquatic Garden, which celebrated its centenary in 2009, provides conditions for aquatic and marginal plants. The large central pool holds a selection of summer-flowering water lilies and the corner pools contain plants such as reed mace, bulrushes, phragmites and smaller floating aquatic species.
The Arboretum, which covers over half of the total area of the site, contains over 14,000 trees of many thousands of varieties. The Bonsai Collection is housed in a dedicated greenhouse near the Jodrell laboratory. The Cacti Collection is housed in and around the Princess of Wales Conservatory. The Carnivorous Plant collection is housed in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. The Grass Garden was created on its current site in the early 1980s to display ornamental and economic grasses; it was redesigned and replanted between 1994 and 1997. It is currently undergoing a further redesign and planting. Over 580 species of grasses are displayed.
The Herbaceous Grounds (Order Beds) were devised in the late 1860s by Sir Joseph Hooker, then director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, so that botany students could learn to recognise plants and experience at first hand the diversity of the plant kingdom. The collection is organised into family groups. Its name arose because plant families were known as natural orders in the 19th century. Over the main path is a rose pergola built in 1959 to mark the bicentennial of the Gardens. It supports climber and rambling roses selected for the length and profusion of flowering.
The Orchid Collection is housed in two climate zones within the Princess of Wales Conservatory. To maintain an interesting display the plants are changed regularly so that those on view are generally flowering. The Rock Garden, originally built of limestone in 1882, is now constructed of Sussex sandstone from West Hoathly, Sussex. The rock garden is divided into six geographic regions: Europe, Mediterranean and Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, North America, and South America. There are currently 2,480 different "accessions" growing in the garden.
The Rose Garden, based upon original designs by William Nesfield, is behind the Palm House, and was replanted between 2009 and 2010 using the original design from 1848. It is intended as an ornamental display rather than a collection of a particularly large number of varieties. Other collections and specialist areas include the rhododendron dell, the azalea garden, the bamboo garden, the juniper collection, the berberis dell, the lilac garden, the magnolia collection, and the fern collection.
The world's smallest water-lily, Nymphaea thermarum, was saved from extinction when it was grown from seed at Kew, in 2009.[40][41]
Herbarium
The Kew herbarium is one of the largest in the world with approximately 7 million specimens used primarily for taxonomic study.[42] The herbarium is rich in types for all regions of the world, especially the tropics.
Library and archives
The library and archives at Kew are one of the world's largest botanical collections, with over half a million items, including books, botanical illustrations, photographs, letters and manuscripts, periodicals, and maps. The Jodrell Library has been merged with the Economic Botany and Mycology Libraries and all are now housed in the Jodrell Laboratory.
Forensic horticulture
Kew provides advice and guidance to police forces around the world where plant material may provide important clues or evidence in cases. In one famous case the forensic science department at Kew were able to ascertain that the contents of the stomach of a headless corpse found in the river Thames contained a highly toxic African bean.[43]
Economic Botany
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/JodLabKew.jpg/220px-JodLabKew.jpg)
The Sustainable Uses of Plants group (formerly the Centre for Economic Botany), focus on the uses of plants in the United Kingdom and the world's arid and semi-arid zones. The Centre is also responsible for curation of the Economic Botany Collection, which contains more than 90,000 botanical raw materials and ethnographic artefacts, some of which are on display in the Plants + People exhibit in Museum No. 1. The Centre is now located in the Jodrell Laboratory.[44]
Jodrell Laboratory
The original Jodrell laboratory, named after Mr T. J. Phillips Jodrell who funded it, was established in 1877 and consisted of four research rooms and an office. Originally research was conducted into plant physiology but this was gradually superseded by botanical research. In 1934 an artists' studio and photographic darkroom were added, highlighting the importance of botanical illustration. In 1965, following increasing overcrowding, a new building was constructed and research expanded into seed collection for plant conservation. The biochemistry section also expanded to facilitate research into secondary compounds that could be derived from plants for medicinal purposes. In 1994 the centre was expanded again, tripling in size, and a decade later it was further expanded by the addition of the Wolfson Wing.[43]
Kew Constabulary
The gardens have their own police force, Kew Constabulary, which has been in operation since 1847.[45] Formerly known as the Royal Botanic Gardens Constabulary, it is a small, specialised constabulary of two sergeants and 12 officers,[46] who patrol the grounds in a green painted electric buggy.[47] The Kew Constables are attested under section 3 of the Parks Regulation Act 1872, which gives them the same powers as the Metropolitan Police within the land belonging to the gardens.[48][49]
Media
A number of films, documentaries and short videos have been made about Kew,[50] including three series of A Year at Kew, filmed for BBC television and released on DVD;[51] Cruickshank on Kew: The Garden That Changed the World, a 2009 BBC documentary exploring the history of the relationship between Kew Gardens and the British Empire;[52] David Attenborough's 2012 Kingdom of Plants 3D;[53] a 2003 episode of Time Team that searched for the remains of George III's palace;[54] and a 2004 episode of Art of the Garden which looked at the building of the Great Palm House in the 1840s.[55]
Virginia Woolf published her short story "Kew Gardens" in 1921, which gives brief descriptions of four groups of people as they pass by a flowerbed.[56][57]
Transport
Kew Gardens station, a London Underground and National Rail station opened in 1869 and served by both the District line and the London Overground services on the North London Line, is the nearest train station to the gardens - only 400 metres along Lichfield Road from the Victoria Gate entrance.[58] Built by the London and South Western Railway, the English Heritage listed building is one of the few remaining original 19th-century stations on the North London Line, and the only station on the London Underground with a pub on the platform (though the platform entrance is now closed off).[59][60] Kew Bridge station, on the other side of the Thames, 800 metres from the Elizabeth Gate entrance via Kew Bridge, is served by South West Trains from Clapham Junction and Waterloo.[58]
London Buses route 65, between Ealing Broadway and Kingston, stops near the Lion Gate and Victoria Gate entrances;[61] route 391, between Fulham and Richmond, stops near Kew Gardens station;[62] while routes 237 and 267 stop at Kew Bridge station.[58]
London River Services operate from Westminster during the summer, stopping at Kew Pier, 500 metres from Elizabeth Gate.[58] There are cycle racks just inside the Victoria Gate, Elizabeth Gate and Brentford Gate entrances, and a 300-space car park outside Brentford Gate, reached via Ferry Lane, as well as some free though restricted street parking on Kew Road.[58]
See also
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, which manages Kew Gardens and Wakehurst Place
- Wakehurst Place
- Botanists active at Kew Gardens
- Joseph Dalton Hooker, who succeeded his father as director in 1865
- The Great Plant Hunt – a primary school science initiative created by Kew Gardens, commissioned and funded by the Wellcome Trust
- Index Kewensis, a massive index of plant names started and maintained by Kew Gardens
- Kew Bulletin
References
- ^ Dyduch, Amy (28 March 2014). "Dozens of jobs at risk as Kew Gardens faces £5m shortfall". Richmond Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ^ "Director". People and departments. Kew. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
- ^ a b "Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew". World Heritage. UNESCO. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
- ^ "Kew, History & Heritage" (PDF). Kew. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ "Director of Royal Botanic Gardens". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 14 October 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ a b c d H.E. Malden (1911). Kew, A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3. pp. 482–487.
- ^ Daniel Lysons (1792). The Environs of London: volume 1: County of Surrey. pp. 202–211.
- ^ "London Attractions and Places of Interest Index". milesfaster.co.uk.
- ^ W Harrison (1848). The Visitor's Hand-book to Richmond, Kew Gardens, and Hampton Court. Cradock and Company. p. 25.
- ^ Lynn Parker, Kiri Ross-Jones (13 August 2013). The Story of Kew Gardens. Arcturus Publishing. p. 9.
- ^ Martin Jones. "Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Wakehurst Place". infobritain.co.uk.
- ^ UNESCO Advisory Body Evaluation Kew (United Kingdom) No 1084 (PDF) (Report). unesco.org. 2003.
{{cite report}}
: Unknown parameter|Author=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ Richard Harry Drayton (2000). Nature's Government: Science, Imperial Britain, and the 'Improvement' of the World. Yale University Press. p. 78.
- ^ Smith, RG (1989). Stubbers: The Walled garden.
- ^ Masson, Francis. Vol. 5 (1801–1820). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. 18 October 2007. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ "Lancelot 'Capability' Brown (1716–1783)". Kew History & Heritage. Kew. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ^ Lankester Botanical Garden (2010). "Biographies" (PDF). Lankesteriana. 10 (2/3): 183–206, page 186. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2014.
{{cite journal}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Palm House and Rose Garden". Visit Kew Gardens. Kew. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- ^ The Crystal Palace was an even more imposing glass and iron structure but fire destroyed it.
- ^ "Suffragists burn a pavilion at Kew; Two Arrested and Held Without Bail – One Throws a Book at a Magistrate". The New York Times. 21 February 1913.
- ^ Bone, Victoria (16 October 2007). "Kew: Razed, reborn and rejuvenated". BBC News. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ "Kew Gardens Flagpole". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ "Treetop Walkway". Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ "The making of the Treetop Walkway". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ "Visit Kew Gardens: Visitor Information And Events To Inspire Your Visit". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ a b "Compost heap". Visit Kew Gardens. Kew. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- ^ "Visit Kew Gardens – The Orangery". Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ a b Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sortory, Barna. Houses of Glass, A Nineteenth-Century Building Type. The MIT Press, 1990 (p300)
- ^ Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sortory, Barna. Houses of Glass, A Nineteenth-Century Building Type. The MIT Press, 1990 (p140)
- ^ a b c Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sortory, Barna. Houses of Glass, A Nineteenth-Century Building Type. The MIT Press, 1990 (p296)
- ^ Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sortory, Barna. Houses of Glass, A Nineteenth-Century Building Type. The MIT Press, 1990 (p299)
- ^ "Local Sculptures – 10 Queen's Beasts". Brentford Dock Residents. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
- ^ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Augusta, Princess of Wales. Retrieved 6 October 2005.
- ^ a b The History of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
- ^ "Waterlily House". Visit Kew Gardens. Kew. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- ^ Morley, James (1 August 2002). "''Kew, History & Heritage''". Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ Google Books [dead link]
- ^ "'Japan 2001′ fest set to take center stage in U.K." The Japan Times. 15 February 2001. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- ^ "Kew Gardens Sundial". Public Monuments and Sculpture Association. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ^ Ghosh, Pallab (18 May 2010). "Waterlily saved from extinction". BBC News. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
- ^ Magdalena, Carlos (November 2009). "The world's tiniest waterlily doesn't grow in water!". Water Gardeners International. 4 (4). Retrieved 19 May 2010.
- ^ "Kew website, Herbarium Collections". Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ a b "Jodrell Laboratory". Kew. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ "Economic Botany Collection". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ Alice-Azania Jarvis (15 January 2014). "Kewdunnit! As a priceless lily is stolen from the botanical gardens, will thieves target your prize plants?". Dailymail.co.uk.
- ^ Michael McCarthy (30 January 2001). "How many policemen does it take to guard an orchid?". The Independent.
- ^ "Police ridiculed over 'milkfloat'". BBC News. 21 July 2002.
- ^ "Parks Regulation Act 1872: 3 Definition of "park-keeper" Section 3". http://www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
(help); line feed character in|publisher=
|title=
at position 57 (help) - ^ "Parks Regulation Act 1872: 7 Powers, duties, and privileges of park-keeper". http://www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
{{cite web}}
: External link in
(help)|publisher=
- ^ "Kew: Videos". Kew.org.
- ^ "A Year at Kew". Episode guide. BBC. 2007. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- ^ "BBC Two: Cruickshank on Kew: The Garden That Changed the World". BBC. 10 December 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ "Kew: Kingdom of Plants with David Attenborough". Kew.org.
- ^ "IMDb: Time Team: Season 10, Episode 9 Kew Gardens, London". IMDb.com.
- ^ "IMDb: Art of the Garden: Season 1, Episode 2 The Great Palm House at Kew". IMDb.com.
- ^ Reid, Panthea (2 December 2013). "Virginia Woolf: early fiction". Encyclopaedia Britannica. p. 2. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ^ Virginia Woolf (1921). Kew Gardens.
- ^ a b c d e "Getting here". Kew.
- ^ "Tap on the Line: History". Fullers.
- ^ "Kew Gardens Station". English Heritage.
- ^ "Route 65". London Bus Routes. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ "Route 391". London Bus Routes. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
External links
- Kew.org Official website
- BBC A Year at Kew documentary behind the scenes at Kew Gardens
Media related to Kew Gardens at Wikimedia Commons
- 1759 establishments in England
- Art museums and galleries in London
- Botanical gardens in London
- Botanical research institutes
- Charities based in London
- Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (United Kingdom)
- Exempt charities
- Flora of the United Kingdom
- Gardens by Capability Brown
- Gardens in London
- Grade I listed buildings in London
- Greenhouses
- Japanese gardens in England
- Kew, London
- Museums in Richmond upon Thames
- Natural history museums in England
- Non-departmental public bodies of the United Kingdom government
- Organisations based in Richmond upon Thames
- Parks and open spaces in Richmond upon Thames
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- World Heritage Sites in London