Discover Kew through time.
Do you have any favourite photo memories of Kew from your own life? A holiday snap from childhood, a photo from a school trip, or a memento of a special day? Why not create your own ‘then and now’ experience of Kew Gardens, by taking a new photo in the same spot – or perhaps recreate your favourite photo from this trail!
Walking distance
- Approx 1.4 km
- 30 min – 1 hour
1 - Strike a pose: famous faces at Kew
Location: Outside the Palm House
Over the years, countless visitors have passed through the gates at Kew, including many famous faces. Strike a pose and create your own photo memory!
2 - Palaces of glass: constructing Kew’s Palm House
Location: Inside the Palm House
Completed in 1848, the curvilinear structure of the Palm House was designed by Decimus Burton and constructed by Richard Turner using the latest innovations in shipbuilding – do you think the glasshouse looks like the hull of an upturned ship?
This is a daguerreotype of the interior of the Palm House, taken in 1847 by Antoine F. J. Claudet, when the iconic glasshouse was still under construction. The daguerreotype was the first photographic process available to the public, which produced an image on a silver-coated plate.
3 - Leaves of strength: Kew’s giant waterlilies
Location: Waterlily House
The giant waterlily Victoria amazonica produces leaves so vast they can support the weight of a small child!
Although we ask you not to test this claim yourselves, some of our horticulturists recently set themselves the challenge of seeing how much weight our waterlilies could support – individual leaves can carry over 40 kg when they are 1.5 m wide.
4 - Antarctic visitors: The birds of Kew
Location: Museum No. 1
A long way from the South Pole... In 1899, three penguins were presented to Kew by Albert Linney, the head gardener at Government House in the Falkland Islands and a former Kew gardener. At the time, there was great interest in all things relating to the Antarctic and Joseph Hooker provided advice on polar exploration to Captain Robert Falcon Scott.
Can you spot any of Kew’s other avian residents patrolling the grounds?
5 - Women’s work: Kew’s female gardeners
Location: Rock Garden
The first female gardeners were employed at Kew in 1896, on equal pay. This was the first time they could earn a wage working as horticulturists.
During WWI, more than 30 female gardeners were employed at Kew. The majority stayed until 1918, and some as late as 1922, when the employment of women gardeners was terminated. During WWII, conscription was extended in 1941 to recruit British women into war work. Women were once again called upon to fill the roles left vacant at Kew.
Today, Kew Gardens is tended by many accomplished female gardeners, many of whom also studied at Kew’s prestigious School of Horticulture.
6 - A time capsule: David Attenborough at Kew
Location: Princess of Wales Conservatory
In 1985, a time capsule was buried under the Princess of Wales Conservatory by David Attenborough. It contains seeds of important food crops and several endangered species. The capsule is due to be opened in 2085.
Sir David Attenborough continues to actively engage with Kew: in November 2023, he donated 31 precious seeds that had been collected from the toromiro tree (Sophora toromiro), from the island of Rapa Nui, Chile. This plant is classified as Extinct in the Wild, as a result of human activity. Several of the seeds will be germinated for display in the Temperate House.
7 - Kew’s mighty trees: Surviving the storm
Location: Near Princess of Wales Conservatory
Every tree at Kew has a story to tell. While 700 trees were lost in the Great Storm of 1987, our Turner’s Oak (Quercus × turneri) has a different tale: hurricane-force winds ripped its roots from the ground, before settling it upright again. To everyone’s surprise, this previously sickly tree began to thrive. The storm had loosened the compacted soil around its roots.
Kew’s arboricultural team, or ‘Tree Gang’ are dedicated to the care and maintenance of the Gardens’ magnificent trees, using specialist technology to identify health issues and defects that put trees at risk of falling or dropping limbs, both before and after a storm.
8 - Millions of footsteps: The Broad Walk then and now
Location: Broad Walk
Take a look at this picture from the 19th century – is something missing? The impressive Great Broad Walk Borders that surround you now were replanted in 2016 and extended in 2023. Believed to be the longest double herbaceous borders in the country, they provide a feast for the senses, with colourful displays and enticing aromas that evolve with the changing seasons.
9 - Dig for Victory: Kew in wartime
Location: Near the Orangery
During both World Wars, households were urged to ‘Dig for Victory’. Public land, including Kew Green, was turned into allotments. Kew Gardens created a ’model’ allotment near the Orangery, with the purpose of educating the public on the best way to grow their own vegetables.
Interested in growing food plants? Visit Edible Science: Kew’s Kitchen Garden (Map reference: N8)
10 - Royal Kew: Visits past and present
Location: Kew Palace
From royal residents to royal patrons, Kew has a long and regal history. Kew Palace was a residence of King George III and his wife Queen Charlotte, and is now open to the public through Historic Royal Palaces.
Thank you for visiting today.
We’d love to see your photo memories of Kew – share them with us #KewGardens
Want to see more photographs of Kew through time? Check out these books, available from the Kew shop at Victoria Plaza and online:
