Kew Gardens

Coordinates: 51°28.480′N 0°17.728′W / 51.474667°N 0.295467°W / 51.474667; -0.295467
This article is about a World Heritage Site
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Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens Temperate House from the Pagoda
TypeBotanical
LocationLondon Borough of Richmond upon Thames, 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
Public transit accessLondon Underground London Overground Kew Gardens
Websitewww.kew.org
Official nameRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew
CriteriaCultural: (ii), (iii), (iv)
Reference1084
Inscription2003 (27th Session)
Area132 ha (330 acres)
Buffer zone350 ha (860 acres)

Kew Gardens or the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in the United Kingdom.[1]

Kew’s historic landscapes and buildings are a collection of gardens and parks and glasshouses.[2]

Kew has the world's largest collection of plant specimens, and is one of the most important centres of research in botany.[2]

Kew Gardens are open to visitors who pay to enter.[3]

History[change | change source]

Early work on the gardens started in the 17th century when King Henry VII built Richmond Lodge in the area.[4]

The land was a private royal garden until the Victorian era. In 1840, the Royal Botanic Garden was established.[5]

The great expansion of the British Empire in the 19th century brought an expanded interest in exotic plants, so the gardens expanded.[6]

In the 20th century, the gardens continued to grow larger and even more important in plant science.[7]

The gardens were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.[1]

The Temperate glass house was fixed over 5 years. It opened again in 2018.[8]

Gallery[change | change source]

Related pages[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 UNESCO, "Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew"; retrieved 2012-4-20.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew). About World Heritage Status Archived 2012-05-07 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-4-20.
  3. "Visit Kew | Kew". www.kew.org. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
  4. 16th & 17th Centuries: Royal Influences" Archived 2012-05-07 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-4-20.
  5. Kew, "Questions in Parliament 1837-1840" Archived 2012-05-12 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-4-20.
  6. Kew, "1841 - 1885: The expansion of the Royal Botanic Gardens" Archived 2012-04-23 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-4-20.
  7. Kew, "Unification and expansion of the Gardens" Archived 2012-04-22 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-4-20.
  8. "Temperate House | Kew". www.kew.org. Retrieved 2020-01-16.

Other websites[change | change source]

Media related to Kew Gardens at Wikimedia Commons