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[[File:Kew Gardens Alpine House.jpg|thumb|right|The Davies Alpine House]]
[[File:Kew Gardens Alpine House.jpg|thumb|right|The Davies Alpine House]]


The Davies Alpine House houses Kew's collection of [[Alpine plant]]s which naturally grow within [[Alpine tundra]]s, above the tree line, and therefore require both cooler conditions and high levels of daylight.
The Davies Alpine House houses Kew's collection of [[Alpine plant]]s which naturally grow within [[Alpine tundra]]s, above the tree line. This can range from altitudes of over {{convert|2000|m|0|abbr=off}}) down to sea level at the poles.


The Davies Alpine House opened in March 2006, having been the first new plant house to be constructed since the Prince of Wales Conservatory. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://daviesalpinehouse.weebly.com/ | title=Davies Alpine House | work=Manchester School of Architecture | }}</ref> There has been an Alpine House at Kew since 1887 with the first building being a simple timber building with glass roof arranged similar to the earlier layouts of the temperate and palm houses.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/explore/attractions/davies-alpine-house | title=Davies Alpine House | work=Royal Botanic Gardens Kew | }}</ref> The house was subsequently rebuilt in 1939 and 1981, with the previous building of 1981 being demolished and the space used for the new Wolfson wing of the Jodrell Labratory. <ref>{{cite book |last=Fry |first=Carolyn |date= 15 Dec 2010|title= |url=The World of Kew |publisher=Random House |page=167 |isbn=1409074951 |accessdate= 16 Aug 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/explore/attractions/davies-alpine-house | title=Davies Alpine House | work=Royal Botanic Gardens Kew | }}</ref>
The Davies Alpine House opened in March 2006, having been the first new plant house to be constructed since the Prince of Wales Conservatory. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://daviesalpinehouse.weebly.com/ | title=Davies Alpine House | work=Manchester School of Architecture | }}</ref> There has been an Alpine House at Kew since 1887 with the first building being a simple timber building with glass roof arranged similar to the earlier layouts of the temperate and palm houses.<ref name='davies'>{{cite web | url=http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/explore/attractions/davies-alpine-house | title=Davies Alpine House | work=Royal Botanic Gardens Kew | }}</ref> The house was subsequently rebuilt in 1939 and 1981 with the previous building being demolished and the space used for the new Wolfson wing of the Jodrell Labratory. <ref name='davies'></ref> <ref>{{cite book |last=Fry |first=Carolyn |date= 15 Dec 2010|title= |url=The World of Kew |publisher=Random House |page=167 |isbn=1409074951 |accessdate= 16 Aug 2014}}</ref>


Designed by Wilkinson Eyre architects, the alpine house's form is defined by the desire to regulate the conditions necessary for alpine plants in the most efficient way possible. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.wilkinsoneyre.com/projects/royal-botanic-gardens-kew-davies-alpine-house.aspx?category=cultural | title=Davies Alpine House | work=Wilkinson Eyre Architects | }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/alpine/ | title=Davies Alpine House | work=Galinsky | }}</ref> Though Although only {{convert|16|m|ft}} long the apex of the roof arch extends to a height of {{convert|10|m|ft}} in order to create a stack effect, drawing cool air from lower levels and expelling warm air via passive vents in the cladding panels. <ref>{{cite web | url=file:///C:/Users/Adam/Downloads/344-sustainability-alpine-house%20(1).pdf | title=Davies Alpine House, sustainability | work=Wilkinson Eyre Architects | format= PDF }}</ref>.
Designed by Wilkinson Eyre architects, the alpine house's form is defined by the desire to regulate the conditions necessary for alpine plants in the most efficient way possible. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.wilkinsoneyre.com/projects/royal-botanic-gardens-kew-davies-alpine-house.aspx?category=cultural | title=Davies Alpine House | work=Wilkinson Eyre Architects | }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/alpine/ | title=Davies Alpine House | work=Galinsky | }}</ref> Though Although only {{convert|16|m|ft}} long the apex of the roof arch extends to a height of {{convert|10|m|ft}} in order to create a stack effect, drawing cool air from lower levels and expelling warm air via high-level passive vents in the cladding panels. Air is blown over the plants and throughout the perimeter via low level vents and cooled via an underground labyrinth of voids formed below the alpine house, the concrete foundations providing the thermal mass needed to maintain a constant temperature. This obviates the need for refrigerated cooling. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.wilkinsoneyre.com/Media.ashx?id=86cd27e8-ff4a-4d93-aed2-9c6300a46a9c | title=Davies Alpine House, sustainability | work=Wilkinson Eyre Architects | format= PDF }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.fanshawe.co.uk/metadot/index.pl?id=2264;isa=DBRow;op=show;dbview_id=2342 | title=Davies Alpine House | work=Fanshawe | format= PDF }}</ref> Other features include multifaceted glass with low iron content, allowing 90% light transmission whilst ensuring heating from direct sunlight is avoided.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://en.urbarama.com/project/davies-alpine-house | title=Davies Alpine House | work=Urbarama }}</ref> A retractable blind system also operates during the hottest months to maintain temperatures. <ref name='davies'>


⚫
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 , extends to over 7000. As the Alpine House can only house around 200 at a time the ones on show are regularly rotated.
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.
{{-}}
{{-}}


Revision as of 14:14, 16 August 2014

"Kew Gardens" redirects here. For the suburb, see Kew, London. For other Kew Gardens, see Kew Gardens (disambiguation).

Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens Temperate House from the Pagoda
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TypeBotanical
LocationLondon, England
Coordinates51°28.480′N 0°17.728′W / 51.474667°N 0.295467°W / 51.474667; -0.295467
Area121 hectares (300 acres)
Opened1759 (1759)
Visitorsmore than 1.35 million per year
Species> 30,000
Websitewww.kew.org
The Palm House and Parterre
CriteriaCultural: ii, iii, iv
Reference1084
Inscription2003 (27th Session)

Kew Gardens (formal title Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; brand name Kew) 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.

An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it 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 organisation manages botanic gardens at Kew in Richmond upon Thames in southwest London, and at Wakehurst Place, a National Trust property in Sussex which is home to Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank. The gardens have their own police force, Kew Constabulary, which has been in operation since 1847.

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]

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.

Attractions

Treetop walkway and Rhizotron
The Rhizotron

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 rhizotron also 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.


A short film detailing the construction of the walkway is available online.[24]

A panoramic view of the treetop walkway. It stands 18 metres (59 ft) above ground.
Sackler Crossing
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 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 by trained volunteers and leave from Victoria Gate at 11 am and 2 pm every day (except Christmas Day).

Plant houses

Alpine House

The Davies Alpine House

The Davies Alpine House houses Kew's collection of Alpine plants which naturally grow within Alpine tundras, above the tree line. This can range from altitudes of over 2,000 metres (6,562 feet)) down to sea level at the poles.

The Davies Alpine House opened in March 2006, having been the first new plant house to be constructed since the Prince of Wales Conservatory. [27] There has been an Alpine House at Kew since 1887 with the first building being a simple timber building with glass roof arranged similar to the earlier layouts of the temperate and palm houses.[28] The house was subsequently rebuilt in 1939 and 1981 with the previous building being demolished and the space used for the new Wolfson wing of the Jodrell Labratory. [28] [29]

Designed by Wilkinson Eyre architects, the alpine house's form is defined by the desire to regulate the conditions necessary for alpine plants in the most efficient way possible. [30][31] Though Although only 16 metres (52 ft) long the apex of the roof arch extends to a height of 10 metres (33 ft) in order to create a stack effect, drawing cool air from lower levels and expelling warm air via high-level passive vents in the cladding panels. Air is blown over the plants and throughout the perimeter via low level vents and cooled via an underground labyrinth of voids formed below the alpine house, the concrete foundations providing the thermal mass needed to maintain a constant temperature. This obviates the need for refrigerated cooling. [32][33] Other features include multifaceted glass with low iron content, allowing 90% light transmission whilst ensuring heating from direct sunlight is avoided.[34] A retractable blind system also operates during the hottest months to maintain temperatures. Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

Princess of Wales Conservatory

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 Augusta's associations with Kew.[35] In 1989 the conservatory received the Europa Nostra award for conservation.[36] 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.[36]

Temperate House

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. 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

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 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.[37]

Former Plant Houses

Nash Conservatory
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.

Orangery
Kew Orangery

The Orangery[38] 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.

Ornamental buildings

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 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.[39] 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.[40]

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 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.

The Minka House

Following the Japan 2001 festival,[41] 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.

Queen Charlotte's Cottage

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

Main article: 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.[42]

Galleries and museum

Shirley Sherwood Gallery
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 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.

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

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, 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 Palm House and lake to Victoria Gate

Governance

Main article: Directors of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
TypeNon-departmental public body
Key people
Marcus Agius (Chair of the Board of Trustees)
 Richard Deverell (Director)
Budget
£56 million (year ended 31 March 2008)
Employees
750[1]
Websitewww.kew.org

An internationally important botanical research and education institution, Kew 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 organisation manages botanic gardens at Kew in Richmond upon Thames in southwest London, and at Wakehurst Place, a National Trust property in Sussex which is home to Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank.

Despite unfavourable growing conditions, (atmospheric pollution from London, dry soils and low rainfall), Kew remains one of the most comprehensive plant collections in Britain. In an attempt to expand the collections away from these unfavourable conditions, Kew has established two out-stations, Wakehurst Place Garden in Sussex, a National Trust property, and (jointly with the Forestry Commission) Bedgebury Pinetum in Kent, the latter specialising in growing conifers.

The world's smallest water-lily, Nymphaea thermarum, was saved from extinction when it was grown from seed at Kew, in 2009.[43][44]

Herbarium

The Kew herbarium is one of the largest in the world with approximately 7 million specimens used primarily for taxonomic study.[45] The herbarium is rich in types for all regions of the world, especially the tropics.

International Plant Names Index
Main article: International Plant Names Index

The Harvard University Herbaria and the Australian National Herbarium co-operate with Kew in the IPNI database, a project which was launched in 1999 to produce an authoritative source of information on botanical nomenclature including publication details. The IPNI includes information from the Index Kewensis, a project which began in the nineteenth century to provide an "Index to the Names and Authorities of all known flowering plants and their countries".

The Plant List

Kew also cooperates with the Missouri Botanical Garden in a related project called The Plant List, which, unlike the IPNI, provides information on which names are currently accepted. The Plant List is an Internet encyclopedia project which was launched in 2010 to compile a comprehensive list of botanical nomenclature.[46][47] The Plant List has 1,040,426 scientific plant names of species rank of which 298,900 are accepted species names. In addition, the list has 620 plant families and 16,167 plant genera.[48]

Seedbank

Kew is important as a seedbank. It co-sponsors the Millennium Seed Bank inside the Wellcome Trust Millennium Building at Wakehurst Place in Sussex.

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.[49]

Economic Botany
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.[50]

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.[49]

Kew Constabulary

Main article: Kew Constabulary

The gardens have their own police force, Kew Constabulary, which has been in operation since 1847.[51] Formerly known as the Royal Botanic Gardens Constabulary, it is a small, specialised constabulary of two sergeants and 12 officers,[52] who patrol the grounds in a green painted electric buggy.[53] 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.[54][55]

Media

A number of films, documentaries and short videos have been made about Kew,[56] including three series of A Year at Kew, filmed for BBC television and released on DVD;[57] 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;[58] David Attenborough's 2012 Kingdom of Plants 3D;[59] a 2003 episode of Time Team that searched for the remains of George III's palace;[60] and a 2004 episode of Art of the Garden which looked at the building of the Great Palm House in the 1840s.[61]

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.[62][63]

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.[64] 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).[65][66] 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.[64]

London Buses route 65, between Ealing Broadway and Kingston, stops near the Lion Gate and Victoria Gate entrances;[67] route 391, between Fulham and Richmond, stops near Kew Gardens station;[68] while routes 237 and 267 stop at Kew Bridge station.[64]

London River Services operate from Westminster during the summer, stopping at Kew Pier, 500 metres from Elizabeth Gate.[64] 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.[64]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Dyduch, Amy (28 March 2014). "Dozens of jobs at risk as Kew Gardens faces £5m shortfall". Richmond Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Director". People and departments. Kew. Retrieved 25 June 2014. Cite error: The named reference "Director" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew". World Heritage. UNESCO. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
  4. ^ "Kew, History & Heritage" (PDF). Kew. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Director of Royal Botanic Gardens". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 14 October 2010. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d H.E. Malden (1911). Kew, A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 3. pp. 482–487.
  7. ^ Daniel Lysons (1792). The Environs of London: volume 1: County of Surrey. pp. 202–211.
  8. ^ "London Attractions and Places of Interest Index". milesfaster.co.uk.
  9. ^ W Harrison (1848). The Visitor's Hand-book to Richmond, Kew Gardens, and Hampton Court. Cradock and Company. p. 25.
  10. ^ Lynn Parker, Kiri Ross-Jones (13 August 2013). The Story of Kew Gardens. Arcturus Publishing. p. 9.
  11. ^ Martin Jones. "Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Wakehurst Place". infobritain.co.uk.
  12. ^ UNESCO Advisory Body Evaluation Kew (United Kingdom) No 1084 (PDF) (Report). unesco.org. 2003. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |Author= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Richard Harry Drayton (2000). Nature's Government: Science, Imperial Britain, and the 'Improvement' of the World. Yale University Press. p. 78.
  14. ^ Smith, RG (1989). Stubbers: The Walled garden.
  15. ^ Masson, Francis. Vol. 5 (1801–1820). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. 18 October 2007. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  16. ^ "Lancelot 'Capability' Brown (1716–1783)". Kew History & Heritage. Kew. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  17. ^ 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)
  18. ^ "Palm House and Rose Garden". Visit Kew Gardens. Kew. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  19. ^ The Crystal Palace was an even more imposing glass and iron structure but fire destroyed it.
  20. ^ "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.
  21. ^ Bone, Victoria (16 October 2007). "Kew: Razed, reborn and rejuvenated". BBC News. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  22. ^ "Kew Gardens Flagpole". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  23. ^ "Treetop Walkway". Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  24. ^ "The making of the Treetop Walkway". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  25. ^ "Visit Kew Gardens: Visitor Information And Events To Inspire Your Visit". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  26. ^ a b "Compost heap". Visit Kew Gardens. Kew. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  27. ^ "Davies Alpine House". Manchester School of Architecture. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  28. ^ a b "Davies Alpine House". Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  29. ^ Fry, Carolyn (15 December 2010). Random House. p. 167. ISBN 1409074951 [The World of Kew The World of Kew]. Retrieved 16 August 2014. {{cite book}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. ^ "Davies Alpine House". Wilkinson Eyre Architects. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  31. ^ "Davies Alpine House". Galinsky. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  32. ^ "Davies Alpine House, sustainability" (PDF). Wilkinson Eyre Architects.
  33. ^ "Davies Alpine House" (PDF). Fanshawe.
  34. ^ "Davies Alpine House". Urbarama.
  35. ^ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Augusta, Princess of Wales. Retrieved 6 October 2005.
  36. ^ a b The History of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
  37. ^ "Waterlily House". Visit Kew Gardens. Kew. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  38. ^ "Visit Kew Gardens – The Orangery". Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  39. ^ Morley, James (1 August 2002). "''Kew, History & Heritage''". Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  40. ^ Google Books [dead link]
  41. ^ "'Japan 2001′ fest set to take center stage in U.K." The Japan Times. 15 February 2001. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  42. ^ "Kew Gardens Sundial". Public Monuments and Sculpture Association. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  43. ^ Ghosh, Pallab (18 May 2010). "Waterlily saved from extinction". BBC News. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  44. ^ Magdalena, Carlos (November 2009). "The world's tiniest waterlily doesn't grow in water!". Water Gardeners International. 4 (4). Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  45. ^ "Kew website, Herbarium Collections". Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  46. ^ Bates, Claire (5 January 2011). "Botanical A-Z via Kew: British experts complete database of every plant name on the planet – all 1.25million of them". Daily Mail. London.
  47. ^ "World's Largest Plants Database Assembled". Discovery News.
  48. ^ "US, British scientists draw up comprehensive list of world's known land plants". CBC. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) [dead link]
  49. ^ a b "Jodrell Laboratory". Kew. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  50. ^ "Economic Botany Collection". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  51. ^ 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.
  52. ^ Michael McCarthy (30 January 2001). "How many policemen does it take to guard an orchid?". Independent.co.uk.
  53. ^ BBC (21 July 2002). "Police ridiculed over 'milkfloat'". BBC.co.uk.
  54. ^ http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Primary&PageNumber=94&NavFrom=2&parentActiveTextDocId=1052083&ActiveTextDocId=1052088&filesize=1764
  55. ^ http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Primary&PageNumber=94&NavFrom=2&parentActiveTextDocId=1052083&ActiveTextDocId=1052093&filesize=4180
  56. ^ "Kew: Videos". Kew.org.
  57. ^ "A Year at Kew". Episode guide. BBC. 2007. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  58. ^ "BBC Two: Cruickshank on Kew: The Garden That Changed the World". BBC. 10 December 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  59. ^ "Kew: Kingdom of Plants with David Attenborough". Kew.org.
  60. ^ "IMDb: Time Team: Season 10, Episode 9 Kew Gardens, London". IMDb.com.
  61. ^ "IMDb: Art of the Garden: Season 1, Episode 2 The Great Palm House at Kew". IMDb.com.
  62. ^ Reid, Panthea (2 December 2013). "Virginia Woolf: early fiction". Encyclopaedia Britannica. p. 2. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  63. ^ Virginia Woolf (1921). Kew Gardens.
  64. ^ a b c d e "Getting here". Kew.
  65. ^ "Tap on the Line: History". Fullers.
  66. ^ "Kew gardens Station". English Heritage.
  67. ^ "Route 65". London Bus Routes. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  68. ^ "Route 391". London Bus Routes. Retrieved 19 July 2012.

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