Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Kew Gardens, to the west of London is home to over 30,000 different types of plants and is the largest and is the most diverse botanical and mycological botanical collection in the world.
Kew Gardens is just 20 minutes away by train from Clapham Junction & easily accessible via local buses if you are staying in West London so there is really no excuse not to escape the busy streets of London and explore this absolutely beautiful park .
Having lived in London for nearly 6 years this was actually my first time at Kew Gardens I can guarantee it won’t be any longer than 6 weeks before I go back again especially when London summer is in full swing
Kew Gardens opens at 10 AM and I would advise arriving around this time to beat the queues that will no doubt be there a little later in the day.
From Clapham Junction we went to station number 5 and got on the train to Kew Bridge. Once at Kew Bridge, cross the road and then the bridge and then turn right walking alongside the cricket pitch which will lead you to the entrance of Kew Gardens.
What hits you first when you arrive at Kew Gardens is the beautifully lined pathways with huge blossoming trees and flowers of such colour and variety to really give you a teaser as to what is to come further into the park.
Designed by Wolfgang Buttress The Hive is a unique, multi-sensory experience designed to highlight the extraordinary life of bees. A feat of British engineering, it stands 17 metres tall, constructed from 170,000 aluminium parts, 1,000 LED lights and is a real gem within a wildflower meadow.
Kew Gardens has lots of little pockets of gardens that makes you feel like an explorer, this path lead to an old cool room where fresh meat would have kept.
When the weather is good in London there really is no better city in the world in my opinion and Kew Gardens is one of the reasons why. Perfect for families, couples & groups of all ages we saw a real mix of people out and enjoying the great British wildlife but at the same time being just 30 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of London.
One top tip I would recommend is to bring a picnic into the park. There are a few cafe’s to get food and drink but they are located near the parks two entrances which considering how big the park is could be a little walk if you fancied a nice sit down with a glass of lemonade and a jam sandwich. There were lots of people just chilling out on the grass at various locations across the park and having a bite to eat.
The Mediterranean Garden and King William Temple was my personal favorite part of Kew Gardens as it just looks just like a garden in Ancient Rome (the only thing missing was the olives and the grapes)
A real must inside the park is to walk up to (or get the lift) The Treetop Walkway.
The Treetop walkways is 200 metres long and towers 18 metres above the ground, enabling visitors a rare insight into the complex ecosystem of the forest canopy. Made from over 400 tonnes of weathered steel, the rusted steel columns blend in with the natural environment whilst giving you some stunning views of the park
Tickets to Kew Gardens can be found on their Website and my top tip would be to buy your tickets online before arriving at the park! This will mean you just need to scan you online ticket with the steward at the gate rather than lining up in the ticket office queue which did seem to be getting bigger as the day went on.
If you are lucky like I was with the weather then why not treat yourself to a cheeky British Ale at the end of the day
I decided to test out The Express Tavern right next to Kew Bridge Station which had an amazing beer garden and superb pizzas which is a perfect mix after a long day exploring
My other recommendation would have to be The Cricketer If you are in the UK for the first time and wanting a real English pub over looking a local cricket pitch then you cannot get any more British than this — The food also looks really tasty here
