Kew Gardens

This is the 59th station I have visited on the District Line leaving me just one more until I will have completed the line. The District Line has the most stations of any Underground Line. This station was opened by the London and South Western Railway in January 1869 in an area of market gardens and orchards. By this time the Royal Botanical Gardens (known as Kew Gardens) were already open to the public  (1840). The station is about 450m from the Gardens which makes it a well used station. The station is served by the District Line on the Underground and the North London Line on the London Overground.  Luckily I visited the station before breaking my foot! 

The platforms were full of flowers just as you would expect being so close to the Botanical Gardens.

Kew Gardens is the only station on the Underground network that has a pub attached to it. The pub has a door which opens onto platform 1 (but it is no longer in use). Previously called The Railway, it was refurbished and renamed in 2013 as The Tap on the Line. 

This is a view of the pub/restaurant from the other side. It is lovely and bright inside. I have eaten here a couple of times when visiting Kew Gardens. 

When built the railway bisected the village of Kew but it wasn't until 1912 that a bridge was provided to allow residents to cross the tracks safely. You can just see the bridge on this photo. The bridge has very high walls which were originally designed to protect its users' clothing from the smoke of steam trains passing underneath. The footbridge is now Grade II listed and was restored in 2004. As well as the footbridge there is a subway giving passengers access to the other platform.

This is the Grade II listed station building when exiting West (the Botanical gardens side). You can see the double storey yellow brick building which is unusual for a railway building.

This is the building on the other side of the station which is just as attractive. It is unusual to have buildings on both sides of a small station.

I decided to follow the signs to the National Archives which happens to be closed on a Monday which is the day I chose to visit!

The National Archives hold over 1000 years of  iconic national documents. It is the official archive and publisher for the UK government. Members of the public can access this information by visiting or by using their website where many of the records have now been digitalised and can be accessed on line. Although the building was closed to the public today, the grounds were still open. I was so surprised by the landscaping. It was delightful wandering around.

'There be monsters' sculpture was inspired by the National Archives map collection and drawings.

The aim was to use devices and imaginary creatures inscribed on some of the oldest maps to inspire adults with experience of mental ill health.  The participants worked alongside skilled mosaic and ceramic artists  to produce this sculpture.

I left the National Archives garden and made my way to Kew Green. As soon as I saw it, memories came flooding back. When I was teaching in Hammersmith back in the 70s, a group of us would meet here in the Summer. 

 

We would buy drinks and then sit on the green enjoying a Summer's evening. None of us were married or had any family commitments in those days. Just happy, carefree days. I hadn't been to the Green since as I now live miles away on the other side of London. 

There have been at least four public houses on the Green, three of which date from the 18th cent whilst the Greyhound dates from the 19th cent.

The parish church of St Anne was founded in 1714. It was originally funded by subscriptions from local people and Queen Anne.

Near the church is a memorial commemorating those who died in the two World Wars. During the second World War the Green was used as vegetable allotments in the 'Dig for Victory' campaign.

The artist Gainsborough is buried in the graveyard here but I couldn't find the gravestone.

 The pond at the south east corner was originally an inlet from the Thames and can now be filled from the river at very high tides.

There has been a hamlet around Kew Green since medieval times and Kew was first mentioned in documents in 1314. The Green used to stretch further west connecting with a lane which led to a ferry across the River Thames. 

In the 18th cent members of the Royal family made Kew their country home. In 1760 it became George III's principal retreat and as a result a large number of houses were built around the Green.  Until the 19th century cattle were grazed on Kew Green and the land around Kew was mostly used for market gardens. Kew Green still preserves the aura of a village green and cricket has been played here at least since 1737 when Prince Frederick, father of George III, captained a team against the Duke of Marlborough's side. Kew Cricket Club was founded in 1882. 

The road through the Green leads onto Kew bridge. This is where I finished my last post on Gunnersbury.

 I went over the bridge to have a look at the London Water and Steam Museum. Originally this building was a waterworks and pumping station. The Kew Bridge Pumping House opened in 1838 as part of a system to provide London with clean water. The museum was founded in 1975 and is centred on a collection of stationary water pumping steam engines dating from 1820 to 1910. It is home to the world's largest collection of working Cornish engines, including the Grand Junction 90 inch, the largest such working engine in the world. I was unable to visit though as it has closed temporarily because of Covid.

I returned via the bridge to Kew Green and walked past many large mansion blocks  facing the Green.

This building belongs to Kew Gardens. Kew is a globally recognised collections based scientific institution. Two of its main collections are housed in this building - the Library and the Herbarium. George IV acquired the property in about 1820 for his brother the Duke of Cumberland. After the Duke died, Kew Gardens took possession and in 1853 it became the Herbarium. It now contains a reference collection of some 7 million specimens of dried plants and fungi.

Just passed the next building is Ferry Lane.

This lane runs from the north of the Green to the river and the Thames towpath.

Another view of Kew Bridge from the towpath.

I had wandered around enough as it was time for me to visit Kew Gardens. Due to restrictions in numbers I had pre booked a timed ticket to make sure I could visit. It was just as well as they were not allowing entry without a pre booked ticket.

I entered the gardens via the Elizabeth gate. I can remember when I first visited the gardens which must have been in the early 70s. It cost 1p to enter which was via a turnstile. Now it costs £17.50 if booked in advance. I started to doubt an entry fee of 1p and did some research once I got home. Apparently I was right. The penny admission was first introduced during WW1 as a means of raising money. This rose to 15p in 1983. I found this record of a discussion in Parliament about the re-introduction of entry fees  amusing. It was in the 1931 edition of Hansard:

KEW GARDENS (ADMISSION FEE).

HC Deb 01 October 1931 vol 257 cc524-5524

§79. Viscount CRANBORNE 

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will consider the advisability of reimposing, for Revenue purposes, the admission fee of one penny to Kew Gardens which was abolished in August, 1929?

§The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Sir John Gilmour) 

I have had this question under consideration, and I have decided to reimpose as from Monday morning next this admission fee of a penny, except on students' days (Tuesday and Friday) when the admission fee will 525continue to be sixpence, and on the four Bank Holidays (Easter Monday, Whit-Monday, August Bank Holiday and Boxing Day), when admission will be free.

§Mr. HARRIS 

How much do the Government expect to get from this change?

§Sir J. GILMOUR 

It is estimated that it will bring in at least £3,500.

§Mrs. MANNING 

Will that fee of one penny be charged when classes from elementary schools are taken to Kew?

§Sir J. GILMOUR 

It will be charged, on the days when it is on, to everybody.

§Mr. McSHANE 

Will Scrooge be the caretaker?

§Mr. HAYCOCK 

Will it be another penny to walk on the grass?

The Royal Botanic gardens now cover an area of 300 acres. In 1759, Princess Augusta, mother of King George III founded a nine acre botanic garden within the pleasure gardens at Kew. In 1768 Joseph Banks sent seeds to Kew whilst on Captain Cook's voyage to the South Seas. So began the collection of seeds and plants from around the world.

The first building I saw as I entered the gardens was the Nash Conservatory. This was originally designed as one of two for Buckingham Palace in 1825. It spent the first 11 years of its life next to the palace before being moved here brick by brick. The other one remaining at Buckingham Palace. It was moved here by Sir Jeffry Wyatville, royal architect to King William IV, because he wasn't allowed to build his own palm house at Kew Gardens. Sir Jeffry had it  glazed as well as putting in two boilers and hot water plants but it still took a few years before the gardeners were convinced it was warm enough for exotic species. This 19th century glasshouse is now used for various events.

A short walk from the Nash Conservatory is Kew Palace. This was King George III's country residence. He spent much of his later life here especially during his 'bouts of madness'. I was surprised to see that the palace was open to the public and even more surprised to find that there was no extra cost to enter. The Palace was not opulent at all, nor richly furnished. It was more like a small country manor house than a palace.

The Palm House (1844-8) Although restored in the 1950s and again in the 1970s, the humidity and high temperatures inside this glass and iron structure had degraded the original cast iron structure. In 1985 the whole building was dismantled down to the main frames. Stainless steel components were then substituted for those beyond repair. It was put back together again in 1988.

 

This is the Princess of Wales Conservatory. It is the most technically advanced of Kew's glasshouses, being designed for energy efficiency. The stepped glass roof and south facing walls maximise sunlight and it is buried deep below ground to prevent heat loss. Rain water tanks are also buried beneath the structure. It was opened in 1987 by the late Princess Diana.

I couldn't fail to notice the increase in air traffic. The gardens are beneath the flight path to Heathrow airport and with the recent lifting of Covid restrictions, the planes were going over every one to two minutes. It sounded as though they were going to land in the gardens.

I walked to the North West boundary of the gardens which run alongside the tow path of the River Thames. There is a metal railing and a deep ditch between the gardens and the tow path so you cannot go from one to the other. From here you have a good view of Syon House and Park at the other side of the river.  Syon House is the London home of the Duke of Northumberland. The house was built in the 16th century on the site of the medieval Syon Abbey. The house is open on certain days to the public but I have not yet visited. Another place to add to my list.

Walking through the gardens your senses are in overload with the different scents and the sounds of buzzing insects.

It was incredibly hot today and by the afternoon I was wilting. In the end I searched out the sprinklers that  were turned on and just like a child I had to stand next to them to get a good soaking.

 

Slightly damp but feeling a little cooler I returned to the station and made my way home. A long and tiring day but one full of colour and old memories.