Kew Gardens, London: A UNESCO Heritage Site, London, England

London has four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but one 鈥� the聽Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew聽鈥� is less visited than the others. Each of the others 鈥� the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, and the Greenwich Museums 鈥� attracted more than 2.5m visitors in 2017. Plus countless more who just stood outside to admire the buildings and take selfies. Yet Kew Gardens only had 1.8m visitors last year. It鈥檚 still an impressive number, but why so many fewer than London鈥檚 other UNESCO sites?

The Royal Botanic Gardens are much more than 鈥渏ust another botanic garden鈥�. There are several strands to the UNESCO listing, starting with the fact that Kew Gardens has been at the forefront of scientific research since it was established in 1759. Its collections of living and conserved plants are still central to international research in botany and ecology. Secondly, several landscape architects, including the great Capability Brown, contributed to the gardens, making it a sort of living museum of garden design through the centuries. In addition, the gardens are home to 44 historic buildings, including the famous Pagoda and the Victorian greenhouses. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).

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Guide Name: Kew Gardens, London: A UNESCO Heritage Site
Guide Location: England » London
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Karen Warren
Read it on Author's Website:
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:

Royal Botanic Gardens
King William鈥檚 Temple
Richmond Park
Syon Vista
Pagoda
Temperate House
Queen Charlotte鈥檚 Cottage
Palm House
Botanical Restaurant
Princess of Wales Conservatory

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