Latest news with #Kew
The Independent
12 hours ago
- The Independent
‘I'm an expert gardener – Kew is a world-class attraction, but here's what it needs to change'
Kew Gardens, near London 's Richmond Park, is iconic. And its most emblematic feature is the Palm House, which will be closing from 2027 for a five-year refurbishment – part of an ambitious bid by the Gardens to become climate positive by 2030. The Palm House is the world's largest surviving Victorian glasshouse and a symbol of the gardens' innovative history. But the £50m project, that will include temporarily rehoming around 1,300 plants, is sorely needed. It's difficult to say which is more impressive: the grandiose glasshouse, with its whimsical spiral staircases, or the plants for which it was built. Encountering the glasshouse is rather like wandering through a rainforest and happening upon a crumbling historical monument, the white iron striking against lush greenery. However, while the plants have thrived in the balmy temperatures within, the Palm House has not. The rust and corrosion is a result of the same conditions that keep the plants so healthy, and it's hard to ignore. As part of the makeover, the Grade I-listed building will have each of its 16,000 panes of glass replaced, while the frame will repainted in the exact shade used when it first opened to the public in 1848. Perhaps this decay is symbolic of Kew's place in British culture: at once enrapturing and frustrating. In its current iteration, Kew is certainly impressive, and is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the capital. But in order to retain its title of a world-class attraction, Kew needs to continue to innovate. A mecca for botanists Happily, there is plenty for the budding gardener to enjoy at present. The Gardens remain a mecca for botanists, home to numerous plants that are now considered extinct in the wild and many more that are critically endangered. Alongside the Chelsea Flower Show, it remains one of the best places for a green-fingered day out – it is easily one of the best things to do with children during the summer holidays. And while London is full of exciting places to visit, Kew Gardens stands out as one of only four places in the city designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is a living monument to centuries of changing fashions and fancies, told through exquisite horticulture. As an ecologist, you only need to say the words 'rare plant' to me, and I'll be there. But if this sounds too academic, fear not. Kew has a lot more to offer than just its plant collections. Younger visitors have long delighted in splashing and climbing their way through the Children's Garden, while the wheelchair-accessible Treetop Walkway takes visitors high up into the canopy. Guests who are happier keeping their feet on the ground can find numerous walking trails throughout the site (plus picturesque picnic spots). With over 300 acres to explore, it's easy to forget you are still in London, just a stones' throw from the hustle and bustle of Kensington. It's equipped with numerous greenhouses, cafes, restaurants, a library and a gallery, meaning there is plenty to keep you occupied on a rainy day. Cacti and waterlilies One of my favourite things to do while exploring Kew is to visit the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Within, guests can wander through ten different climatic areas, from a wet tropical zone to an arid desert, complete with prickly cacti. The conservatory is also home to a fabulous species of giant waterlily, Victoria boliviana, whose huge pads float like boats on the pond. These are particularly special as the variety was discovered at Kew itself. Visitors used to be able to spot the glasshouse's very own pest control unit here, comprising a burly group of water dragons. These striking lizards were a delight to watch, lazing around or skittering between plants, taking their role of bug patrol very seriously. Sadly, the creatures are no longer resident in the spot – but wildlife, especially butterflies and bees, are in abundance. What Kew needs to do With the refurbishment, Kew is recommitting itself to preserving biodiversity and becoming more sustainable. Still, there's more the Gardens could be doing. I'd love to see more information around the gardens about Kew's global research projects – from seed banks in the Alps to plant conservation in Angola. The Eden Project, in Cornwall, is particularly good at signposting its work in this department, and Kew could learn something here. With approximately 2.45 million visitors a year, Kew's potential for educating the public is vast and I believe this could be better expressed. I'd love to see more interactive displays teaching visitors about environmental issues, or simply more information about how to make their own gardens a force for good in the world. Visiting Kew Gardens is a remarkable, transformative excursion: a chance to explore the world's landscapes for a fraction of the cost of a plane ticket. Once completed, the restoration of the Palm House will be a powerful symbol of a changing British institution. What began as a collection of flowers has now become a frontline in the battle against climate change. The changes to the glasshouse are a clear message that we can create a better environmental future, while continuing to preserve our heritage.
ABC News
a day ago
- Business
- ABC News
Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli signs four-year extension, rejecting free agency
Marcus Bontempelli says he never seriously considered leaving the Western Bulldogs, after signing a new four-year extension to remain at the club. Bontempelli ended months of speculation by forgoing free agency to sign a deal that will see him remain at the Bulldogs through the 2029 season. "I've had a few different things happening — getting married in the off-season, opening a small coffee shop out in Kew — but ultimately it is no different to how I've dealt with other things in the past," Bontempelli said in a statement on Tuesday. "It's an important decision to spend the right amount of time on. "This club means so much to me, it's hard to put it into a few words, to be honest. It is where I have grown as a man and spent all of my adult years coming here at 18. "When I think about the person I want to become, it has been influenced by the people I have spent a lot of time with at the Western Bulldogs. "I owe so much from a footballing experience perspective, but I think I really owe a lot of my maturing as a person and as a man to the football club. "For me, it's such a special place, the fans, the people that have supported me along the way. I've never not felt supported by our people here at the club. "I feel incredibly lucky to have had that for so long."
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
New documents reveal behind-the-scenes Palace plot to replace royal yacht Britannia
Newly released official files have shared discreet manoeuvring by Buckingham Palace officials to influence the government's decision on replacing the Royal Yacht Britannia. By 1993, the 39-year-old royal vessel was nearing the end of its operational life, prompting John Major 's Conservative government to consider a significant £50 million investment in a new yacht. It was widely believed that Queen Elizabeth II strongly favoured the commissioning of a new yacht, but the Royal Family was keen to avoid any public appearance of political interference. However, documents from the National Archives at Kew reveal how senior courtiers privately approached Downing Street. Their aim was to persuade the then Prime Minister to issue a Commons statement highlighting Britannia's "inestimable value" to the nation. This thinly veiled attempt to garner support for a new vessel was swiftly rejected by the Cabinet Office, with officials warning that any such comments would be "highly prejudicial". One senior official caustically remarked that the Palace's assertion of the Queen's "indifference" regarding the yacht's future "hardly rings true". The issue of a new yacht came at an extremely difficult time for the government and for the Palace, with support for the royals at a low ebb. There had been an angry public backlash the previous year when ministers announced the taxpayer would pick up the bill – which eventually ran to £36 million – for the restoration of Windsor Castle following a catastrophic fire. In the aftermath of her 'annus horribilis' – which also saw the separation of Charles and Diana – the Queen agreed that she would for the first time pay taxes. With Mr Major due to announce the historic move in a statement to parliament, the Queen's private secretary Sir Robert Fellowes saw an opportunity to secure what would amount to a show of support for a new yacht. He asked the prime minister's principal private secretary Alex Allan if Mr Major would insert a passage referring to the importance of Britannia as well as the Queen's flight and the royal train. He suggested the prime minister should tell MPs that it was not just a question of cost 'but also the style in which we wish our head of state and members of the royal family to represent us' in their public duties. 'It is always difficult to put a price on prestige but I have no doubt that over the years these items have been of inestimable value to this country.' Sir Robin's proposed addition to Mr Major's statement went on: 'I would also like to make clear that there is not, and never has been, any pressure from the Queen to build a replacement for HMY Britannia. 'Should the government decide it is in the national interest for the yacht to be replaced that would be of course another matter.' However, Nicolas Bevan, the official heading the working group set up to consider the future of the yacht, warned that the proposed remarks could be 'prejudicial' to any future decisions. 'For example to say that the royal yacht has been of inestimable value to this country will not be a helpful remark if ministers in due course decide not to replace Britannia,' he said. 'Equally it hardly rings true to suggest that it is a matter of complete indifference to the Queen as to whether Britannia is replaced or not.' Despite the palace's protestations of neutrality, the files suggest courtiers were involved in what amounted to some not-so-subtle lobbying on behalf of a new yacht. On 13 May, 1993, senior government officials, led by the cabinet secretary Sir Robin Butler, were invited to a 'splendid lunch' on board Britannia where they were regaled by the former lord mayor of London, Sir Hugh Bidwell, and the Earl of Limerick, a senior banker, on the value of the yacht to UK business. Expressing his thanks afterwards to the master of the Queen's household, Major General Sir Simon Cooper, Sir Robin noted that the setting had 'brought home the issues to those involved in a unique way'. However, when news of the meeting leaked out, government press officers were instructed to impress upon journalists – unattributably – that the Queen and royal family were 'not fighting any kind of rearguard action on the yacht'. Despite misgivings over the costs, the Major government finally announced in January 1997 that they would build a replacement yacht if they were returned to power in the general election later that year. The move was however widely interpreted as a desperate attempt to shore up support among wavering Tory voters, and when Labour was swept to power in a landslide they promptly reversed the decision. When Britannia was finally decommissioned – after returning the last governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, following the handover to China – the Queen, who rarely displayed any emotion in public, was seen to shed a tear.
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Kew's Palm House to shut for renovations as part of push towards net zero
The famous Palm House at Kew is to shut for up to five years as part of a £60 million push towards net zero, the Royal Botanic Gardens has announced. Renovations to the listed building, alongside its companion the Waterlily House, are part of a conservation project to create the 'first heritage net-zero glasshouses of their kind'. The Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG) said restoration work was needed on both buildings after they showed signs of serious deterioration, having last undergone renovations in the 1980s. The project is not expected to start until 2027 and the greenhouses will close for up to five years once the changes begin to take place. Home to tropical and sub-tropical plants, the Palm House was originally completed in 1848, while the Waterlily House opened in 1852 to showcase giant Amazon waterlilies. As part of the work, the buildings will see the replacement of 16,500 glass panes with high-performance sealed glazing, the use of bespoke silicone gaskets to reduce heat loss, and the installation of a fully electrified air and water source heat pump system. There will also be upgrades to the rainwater storage and irrigation system and the restoration of original ornamental garden layouts and finishes. Richard Deverell, director of RBG Kew, said: 'This is a pivotal moment in the history of Kew. 'With sustainability at the core of our mission, this project exemplifies our commitment to safeguarding both the environment and cultural heritage. 'The transformation of the Palm House and Waterlily House into net-zero icons will not only protect irreplaceable plants but serve as a beacon of what sustainable heritage can achieve.' The project is expected to cost £60 million and the relocation and propagation of plant specimens by Kew's horticulturists has already begun. Two glasshouses, one permanent and one temporary, have been built for the cultivation of the tropical plants as the work commences. There are around 1,300 plants within the Palm House alone. Tom Pickering, head of glasshouse collections at RBG Kew, added: 'At the heart of this project is the need to protect the extraordinary plant collections housed in the Palm House and Waterlily House. 'Besides being beautiful, many have cultural, scientific and conservation value, and replacing these collections is unimaginable. 'Achieving net zero in these historic buildings is an unprecedented task, it's a complex challenge which must consider the interplay of horticulture, climatic control, engineering and architecture.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Kew Gardens' Palm House will close for five years for major makeover
It's a makeover on a massive scale - it involves moving 1,300 plants, replacing 16,000 panes of glass and cleaning up hundreds of tonnes of iron. This is the ambitious £50m plan to renovate the world-famous Palm House, which sits at the heart of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. The hot and humid conditions inside have taken their toll on the building, which opened in 1848 and houses a tropical rainforest. Kew will also use the refurbishment – which will see the glass house closed for five years from 2027 – to reduce emissions from the Palm House to net zero. The planning permission for the project has now been submitted, and some of the plants that make up the indoor tropical rainforest have started to be relocated. "This is probably the plant that I worry about moving the most," says Thomas Pickering, head of glasshouses. He's standing next to one of Kew's most precious specimens: a plant called Encephalartos altensteinii, which is a type of cycad. It's growing in a pot, and at 250 years old, it's older than the Palm House itself. It's also enormous - weighing more than a tonne and standing about 4m tall. "It's the sheer size of it. It has a huge weight in that root ball, but also this incredibly long stem, which is very old because they're incredibly slow-growing plants," says Pickering. The horticulturists will use scaffolds, supports and braces to protect the plant when the time comes for it to be moved. Other plants, that are a bit easier to shift, have already been taken to a temporary greenhouse. "It's going to be a long term project," explains Pickering. "And over the next two years, it's going to be a process of selecting which plants we need to containerize (place in pots) and keep, which ones we need to propagate - and also some of the plants will be felled because we won't be able to move them." The Palm House was built more than 175 years ago and was a wonder of the Victorian age. No-one had ever constructed a glass house on that scale before and the engineers borrowed techniques from the shipping industry to build the huge structure. It was last renovated in the 1980s, but now the iron is heavily rusting in places, so it will be stripped back to the bare metal work, repaired and repainted. All of the thousands of single glazed panes of glass will be replaced and tests are underway to find the best type of glass to provide maximum insulation. Maintaining the Palm House's temperature at 21C uses a lot of energy, but now gas boilers will be replaced with air source and water source heat pumps. "This is an incredibly challenging building to make net zero," said Rachel Purdon, head of sustainability at Kew. "We can do a huge amount with things like sealing the glass and improving the heating systems to massively reduce the carbon footprint and improve the sustainability of the Palm House without impacting the aesthetics." The Water Lily House, which is located next to the Palm House, will also be made over as part of the renovation. The public will still be able to visit both for the next two years before they're closed for the works. The team at Kew acknowledges this will be a big undertaking that will have a temporary impact on people coming to their botanic gardens. But they say the results will be worth it. "The really important aspect of this is to try and ensure that the structure can last as long as possible, before we have to do another refurbishment," says Rachel Purdon.
