Portal:London/Showcase picture/04 2010



One of the glasshouses at Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens, also known as the Royal Botanic Gardens, is one of the world's leading botanic gardens. Spanning 121 hectares in Kew, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, it is an international research institute employing over 700 staff. During the year ending 31st March 2008, it attracted 2 million visitors and earned £56 million. Originating in the exotic gardens of Lord Capel of Tewkesbury in 1759, Kew Gardens celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2009. Over the years, the gardens have been steadily enriched and many structures have been added. One of the original structures that survives, a pagoda, was built by Sir William Chambers in 1761. In 2003 the site was declared at UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The building pictured is the Temperate House which is a large Victorian glasshouse built in the 19th Century. It is made of wrought iron and is one of the largest Victorian greenhouses in the world.


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