Clarendon 2016 Clarendon Kew Gardens | Page 5

Out & About

There are numerous activities to keep you busy and entertained in and
around Kew, most of which make the most of Kew’s open spaces. North
Sheen Recreation Ground contains football pitches, a running track, a
children’s paddling pool, two extensive playgrounds and a pavilion set
amongst trees and shrubs.
If you are looking for indoor activities, The National Archives are just the
ticket. The UK government’s official archive, from the Domesday Book
to websites it is home to millions of documents, files and images that
cover 1,000 years of history. There are easy instructions enabling you to
find, access and understand relevant records.
Kew Palace is famously the place of King George V’s incarceration
during his bouts of madness. The current palace is the third to be built
in Kew and despite its generously grand name is only the size of a large
manor house. It reopened in 2006 after thorough restoration and now
makes for a charming and informative day out.
Kew Observatory or the King’s Observatory, was
an astronomical and terrestrial magnetic observatory founded by keen
amateur astronomer, King George III. It is located in the Old Deer Park
of the former Richmond Palace and in the past participated in assessing
and rating Swiss timepiece movements for accuracy.
Open on select days during the week, Syon House and Park is the
last surviving ducal residence complete with country estate in Greater
London and boasts the spectacular Great Conservatory and 40 acres of
Capability Brown designed gardens and parkland.
Across the Thames is the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. This is a
World Heritage Site and the largest collection of plants in the world,
housing more than 30,000 different living and over 7 million preserved
plant species. There are 8 enormous glass houses which are the
Garden’s most popular features; this is botanical science, precision
engineering and conservation at its best.

Images: © www.visitrichmond.co.uk

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