London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [89]
Two great 19th-century greenhouses—the Palm House and the Temperate House—are filled with exotic blooms, and many of the plants have been there since the final glass panel was fixed into place. The Temperate House, once the biggest greenhouse in the world, today contains the largest greenhouse plant in the world, a Chilean wine palm rooted in 1846. You can climb the spiral staircase to the roof and look down on it and the dense tropical profusion from the walkway. Architect Sir William Chambers built a series of temples and follies, of which the crazy 50-story Pagoda, visible for miles around, is the star turn. The Princess of Wales conservatory houses 10 climate zones, and the Rhizotron & Xstrata treetop walkway takes you 59 feet up into the air.
Kew Gardens Tips
Guided tours with nature-loving volunteers leave daily from the Guides’ desk inside Victoria Plaza at 11 and 2. Can’t tell your False acacia from your Corsican pine? The 90-minute Tree Identification Tour leaves from Museum No. 1 (opposite the Palm House) on Saturday at 11:30, £5. Book ahead (020/8332–5604). Fresh air and natural beauty made you peckish? Treat your taste buds to a light tea at the Victoria Terrace Café, dine outside at White Peaks, or go elegant at the Orangery. Hire a Kew Ranger—an interactive handheld GPS that will lead you to highlights, give hints and snippets of history, and even give kids “hunting clues” to keep them occupied. Pick one up from Victoria Gate for £4.95. | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey (main entrance is between Richmond Circus and traffic circle at Mortlake Rd.) | TW9 3AB | 020/8332–5655 | www.kew.org | £13.50 | Feb., daily 9:30–5:30; Mar.–Aug., weekdays 9:30–6:30, weekends 9:30–7:30; Sept. and Oct., 9:30–6; Nov.–Feb. 9:30–4:15 | Kew Gardens.
Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage.
To this day quietly domestic Kew Palace remains the smallest royal palace in the land. The house and gardens offer a glimpse into the 17th century. Originally known as the Dutch House, it was bought by King George II to provide more room in addition to the White House (another royal residence that used to exist on the grounds) for the extended Royal Family. In spring there’s a romantic haze of bluebells. | Kew Gardens, Kew | TW9 3AB | www.hrp.org.uk | £5, in addition to ticket for Kew Gardens | Apr.–Sept., Tues.–Sun. 10–5, Mon. 11–5 | Kew Gardens.
RICHMOND
Named after the palace Henry VII built here in 1500, Richmond is still a welcoming and extremely pretty riverside “village,” with many handsome (and expensive) houses, antiques shops, a Victorian theater, London’s grandest stately home, and, best of all, the largest of London’s royal parks.
EXPLORING RICHMOND
Ham House.
To the west of Richmond Park, overlooking the Thames and nearly opposite the oddly named Eel Pie Island, the house was built in 1610 by Sir Thomas Vavasour, knight marshal to James I, then refurbished later in the century by the Duke and Duchess of Lauderdale, who managed to produce one of the finest houses in Britain at the time. It’s one of the most complete examples in Europe of a lavish Restoration period house, with a restored formal garden, which has become an influential source for other European palaces and grand villas. The original decorations in the Great Hall, Round Gallery, and Great Staircase have been replicated, and all the furniture and fittings are on permanent loan from the Victoria & Albert Museum. A tranquil and scenic way to reach the house is on foot, which takes about 30 minutes, along the eastern riverbank south from Richmond Bridge. | Ham St., Richmond | TW10 7RS | 020/8940–1950 | www.nationaltrust.org.uk | House, gardens, and outbuildings £10; gardens only £3.50 | House mid-Mar. to Oct., Sat.–Wed. noon–4; late Feb. and early Mar., weekends noon–4 (limited guided tours only). Gardens mid-Feb.–Oct., Sat.–Wed. 11–5; early Nov.–mid-Dec., weekends 11–5; Jan.–early Feb., weekends 11–4. | Richmond, then Bus 65 or 371.
Fodor’s Choice | Hampton Court Palace.
Today the royal palace that sits beside the slow-moving Thames