Kew Gardens (Kew)
Kew Gardens is a world famous location at Kew in Greater London, formerly Surrey.
It is a World Heritage Site, so designated in 2003.
The gardens, properly known as the Royal Botanic Gardens, were started by Princess Augusta, mother of George III, in her widowhood, and were given to the nation by Queen Victoria in 1841.
The site, beside the River Thames, covers over 300 acres and is part pleasure garden and part research centre. It is a stunning mixture of glorious vistas, magnificent glasshouses and beautiful landscapes.
There are over 40,000 kinds of plants, trees and shrubs, ranging from rainforest to desert.
The Palm House was designed by Decimus Burton, and the famous Pagoda was built to the design of William Chambers.
Until the 1970s the admission charge was one penny.