Kew Gardens

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 Great Britain, the United Kingdom.

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

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

Kew Gardens are open to visitors who pay to enter.

History

Early work on the gardens started in 1501 when King Henry VII built Sheen Palace in the area.

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

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

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

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

The Temperate Glass House was closed from 2012 through 2018 for repairs due to severe, extreme corrosion.

References

  1. 1 2 UNESCO, "Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew"; retrieved 2012-4-20.
  2. 1 2 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

Media related to Kew Gardens at Wikimedia Commons