Explore the Gardens through the eyes of Royals.
Augusta, Princess of Wales (1719–1772) and her son King George III (1738–1820) employed the architect William Chambers (1723–1796) to modify and add to the splendour of the royal pleasure grounds by building a series of ornamental buildings. These buildings, or follies, reflected the education and ideals of English society in the mid-eighteenth century.
This trail follows the route that the Royal Family would have taken on their walk around Kew Gardens, visiting the location of former ornamental buildings and the few that still exist today.
Walking distance
- Approx 3km
- 2.5 hours
1 - The White House
1731–1802
In 1731, Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707–1751) purchased the lease to what was then known as Kew House.
Originally an old Tudor mansion, Kew House was extensively remodelled by architect and landscape designer William Kent (1685–1748). Kent enlarged the house with single- and double-storey wings that displayed opulent, classically inspired interiors.
After Kent whitewashed the exterior, it became known as the White House.
2 - Temple of the Sun
1761–1916
The Temple of the Sun was based on a ruined temple in Baalbek, Lebanon.
When designing this folly, William Chambers took inspiration from Baalbek’s Temple of Bacchus in Lebanon, named after the Roman god of wine and revelry. The folly was situated in a small open woodland, and was described by Chambers as being ‘richly furnished and gilt’.
Unfortunatly, the temple was crushed by a tree during a ferocious storm on 28 May 1916.
3 - Baroque Arch
c.1762–c.1783
The Baroque Arch served as an ornate entrance to a flower garden laid out in a radial pattern. The arch featured urns on each side for displaying rare flowers, welcoming the royal family and their guests as they toured the estate.
4 - Menagerie and Aviary
1760–1785
Kew Gardens once played host to an array of ornamental architecture and wildlife.
William Chambers designed and built a Chinese-style aviary to house Princess Augusta’s collection of native and foreign birds. A short walk led to the Menagerie, an oval enclosure lined with cages and pens for pheasants and bigger birds. A large pool, well-stocked with goldfish and waterfowl, took up most of the space. In the centre stood an ornamental Chinese pavilion or ting on a small island.
By 1785 the Menagerie had been converted into a lawn – only the ting remained.
5 - Temple of Pan
1758–1843
The Temple of Pan featured simple Doric columns, free from any ornate decoration. They supported a frieze depicting ox skulls, which was fitting as Pan was also considered the god of shepherds, flocks and herds.
6 - Temple of Aeolus
1758–today
This temple is dedicated to Aeolus, the Keeper of the Winds in Greek mythology, best known from Homer’s Odyssey.
Originally designed and built out of wood by William Chambers in 1758, it was rebuilt in stone by Decimus Burton (1800–1881) while he was designing the Palm House in 1845. The temple sits on an artificial hill, made of soil dredged up during the construction of a six-acre lake, part of which now exists as the Palm House Pond.
7 - Smeaton’s water engine
1761–c.1850
As Kew’s Royal Gardens grew, an improved water supply was needed.
Renowned engineer John Smeaton (1724–1792) designed a mechanical pump to raise water from a 12-foot-deep well for Kew’s lake, ponds and flower beds.
Hidden in a thicket near the House of Confucius, the pump could raise over 70,000 litres of water per hour. Its design utilised an old and ingenious technology, the Archimedes screw, named after the Ancient Greek polymath. It was powered by a pair of horses walking around a circular track.
8 - The House of Confucius
1750–1844
The House of Confucius was one of the first garden follies at Kew, built for Prince Frederick and Princess Augusta.
This Chinese-style summerhouse was designed by Prince Frederick’s cabinet painter, Joseph Goupy, in 1750. Its interior was decorated with scenes from the life of the philosopher Confucius.
The upper floor featured a small furnished salon with chairs and a sofa designed by eminent English architect William Kent (1685–1748). The entire structure was painted in vibrant reds, yellows, blues and greens.
9 - Temple of Arethusa
1758–today
This temple is named for Arethusa, a nymph from Greek mythology. The temple was originally built in 1758 and moved to its current location in 1803. Today the temple commemorates staff and members of the Kew Guild who fell in the First and Second World Wars.
10 - The Theatre of Augusta
1760–c.1772
This theatre was built and named for Princess Augusta, wife of Prince Frederick and mother of King George III.
This semi-circular amphitheatre with ornate Corinthian columns was situated on the raised side of an open grove, offering views across the lake to the White House. Princess Augusta used this amphitheatre to hold performances and theatrical parties.
11 - Temple of Bellona
1760–today
The temple was dedicated to Bellona, the Roman goddess of war. It was built by Chambers at the height of the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763). At that time, many fashionable gardens included a temple to Bellona.
This temple is made of wood rather than stone. Despite this, it is still standing 250 years after its construction.
12 - Temple of Victory
1759–1861
This temple commemorated the Anglo-German victory over the French at the Battle of Minden in 1759 – a pivotal moment during the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763).
Designed by William Chambers, with rumoured input from King George III, its Ionic columns supported a domed ceiling adorned with laurel and other foliage.
The Temple of Victory was said to have been built in a single night – perhaps resulting in its nickname, the Mushroom Temple.
13 - The Ruined Arch
1759–today
Built for Princess Augusta by William Chambers, this folly was a fashionable addition to the Gardens.
Ruins were a popular feature in Georgian gardens, appreciated for their aesthetic and philosophical value, as reminders that nothing lasts forever. Chambers was, at the time, one of the few British architects to have studied in Italy. That influence is reflected here – his Ruined Arch would not look out of place in Rome.
The Ruined Arch also served a practical purpose. It doubled as a bridge, used by local farmers to bring sheep and cattle to graze on the royal estate’s 41-acre lawn.
14 - The Alhambra
1758–1820
Named after the palace-fortress in Granada, Spain, the Alhambra boasted a brilliantly coloured façade.
The Alhambra was one of three buildings located in what was then known as Kew’s ‘Wilderness’. Guests would have felt transported to another world upon seeing the Great Pagoda flanked by the Alhambra and the Mosque.
At the request of Prince Frederick, William Chambers drew up the plans for this ‘building in the old Moorish taste’ in 1750. Frederick died before the design became reality, but his wife, Princess Augusta, saw the building completed
in 1758.
15 - The Mosque
1761–c.1783
Intended as an homage to Turkish architecture, William Chambers’s replica mosque was most likely based on an engraving by an Austrian architect.
Located on a small mound, the Mosque comprised a main dome flanked by two smaller domes, with slender minarets at both ends. Minarets are normally used by muezzins to call Muslims to prayer.
Whilst the Mosque was not intended as a place of worship, its star-shaped windows and gilded Arabic inscription from the Qu’ran completed an exterior that stayed true to its Islamic influences.
16 - The Gothic Cathedral
1759–1806
Kew’s Gothic Cathedral was considered one of the most ornate examples of the Gothic Revival movement. This replica cathedral was the creation of the Swiss architect and painter Johann Heinrich Muntz (1727–1798), a pioneer of the Gothic Revival in England.
At just over 15 metres in length, the cathedral used pointed arches and windows, spires and pinnacles to emphasise verticality – a distinguishing characteristic of Gothic architecture.
17 - Gallery of Antiques
1757–c.1783
Nestled in a thicket, the Gallery of Antiques was richly decorated with bas-reliefs and statues of Roman goddesses.
The interior consisted of an open roof supported by ornate Corinthian columns. It was lit on one side by wall openings, which highlighted statues of Minerva and Venus.
This folly soon fell into neglect. In 1783, a prince visited Kew from what is now north-west Germany, equipped with engravings of the follies that dotted the landscape. He was dismayed to find that less than 30 years after it was built, the Gallery of Antiques had been demolished.
18 - Temple of Solitude
1758–1803
Architecture and literature in the 18th century romanticised the idea of solitude.
The Romantic Movement in Europe at the end of the 18th century emphasised the emotional experience of the individual, and placed a strong importance on our relationship with nature. This temple provided a place of shelter for visitors wallking around the Gardens to sit and contemplate their surroundings.
19 - Temple of Peace
1763–c.1772
The Temple of Peace was designed to commemorate the end of the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763).
The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763, calling an end to the conflict in which Great Britain had been involved for almost a decade. In tribute, the Temple of Peace was designed to be ‘richly furnished with stucco ornaments, allusive to the occasion on which it is erected’.
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Want to explore further?
Discover more of Kew’s royal buildings, explore the changing styles of glasshouse architecture and find the sculptures that hide amongst the foliage with the Art and Architecture trail.
Find books about Kew's history in the Kew shop at Victoria Plaza and online at shop.kew.org.
