At the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, there are 300 acres of beautiful gardens, with six glasshouses to visit including the Evolution House. The Gardens are open daily from 9.30am. Closing time varies according to the time of year, but it’s not earlier than 4pm or later than 7.30pm. For exact times call the Gardens on 020 8940 1171.
Admission to the gardens is £5 for adults, £2.50 for children; during the last hour before closing, there is a reduced rate of £3 for all visitors. Kew Gardens are closed 25 December and 1 January.
The nearest Underground station is Kew Gardens and you are also within easy reach of Richmond with its riverside pubs, antique shops, village green and royal park.
Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew
November 15th, 2009Regents Park
November 15th, 2009Regents Park is the home of London Zoo, a mosque, and an open-air theatre. The Queen Mary Rose Gardens in the centre of the park are particularly spectacular. Nearby Primrose Hill has great views of London.
The Science Museum
November 14th, 2009The Science Museum has over 300,000 objects in its care, covering the entire history of western science, technology and medicine. It has been uniquely placed to acquire objects recording the Industrial Revolution, and now holds unrivalled collections in this area. Medical artefacts from all periods and cultures also form an important part of its holdings.
The Science Museum acquires objects to represent the development of western science, technology and medicine from around 1700 to the present day.
The Tate Gallery
November 14th, 2009The Tate Gallery is the keeper of an impressive historical archive of British art. The adjoining Clore Gallery has a wonderful collection of JMW Turner paintings, and try not to miss the pre-Raphaelite room. Housed in the former Bankside Power Station, the brand-spanking new Tate Modern on the South Bank displays the Tate’s collection of international modern art, including major works by Bacon, Dalí, Picasso, Matisse, Rothko and Warhol, as well as work by more contemporary artists. The building is as exciting as the art: gorgeous industrial-strength red brick with a 325-foot-high chimney. The former turbine hall, below street level and running the length of the vast building, now forms the awe-inspiring entrance to the gallery.
The National Gallery
November 13th, 2009The National Gallery, located on the edge of Trafalgar Square, has one of the world’s most impressive art collections. Famous paintings include Cezanne’s The Bathers and van Eyck’s Arnolfini Wedding. Entry to the gallery is free, which means if you feel like dropping in and looking at just one or two pictures, you can do so at your leisure without feeling obliged to cover extensive territory.
The Natural History Museum
November 13th, 2009The Natural History Museum is so large, it could be classed as two museums. The museum has two main feature Earth and Life but most visitors usually head straight for the Dinosaurs were you can see many life size robotic models. Those who have not visited the museum for a long time will be surprised to learn that the museum has moved on with many of the very latest interactive displays on show along side the more traditional displays
There are so many things to see and do that you will undoubtedly miss one or two things, however make sure you take in the Dinosaurs, the Earth galleries with its amazing simulated earthquake and the Ecology department with it’s small life like rainforest.
The Victoria & Albert Museum
November 11th, 2009The Victoria & Albert Museum has an eclectic mix of booty gathered together under its brief as a museum of decorative art and design. It sometimes feels like an enormous Victorian junk shop, with nearly four million artefacts on display. It’s best to browse through the collection whimsically, checking out the Chinese ceramics, Japanese swords, cartoons by Raphael, sculpture by Rodin, the Frank Lloyd Wright study and the pair of Doc Martens.
The British Museum
November 11th, 2009The Museum exists to illuminate the history of cultures, for the benefit of present and future generations.” The British Museum holds in trust for the nation and the world a collection of art and antiquities from ancient and living cultures. Housed in one of Britain’s architectural landmarks, the collection is one of the finest in existence, spanning two million years of human history. Access to the collections is free.
