25/08/2026
Weekend Visit to Kew Gardens 🌿
Although I’ve visited many times over the years, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the gardens looking quite so parched and brown. The recent dry weather was certainly evident, but there was still plenty to explore and enjoy. This time, we climbed all 253 steps of the Great Pagoda, saw the Henry Moore’s Monumental Nature sculpture exhibition, and discovered Queen Charlotte’s Cottage – a beautiful 18th-century cottage orné tucked away within the gardens.
The Grade I-listed Great Pagoda, completed in 1762, is essentially an elaborate – and undoubtedly expensive – folly, a style that was particularly fashionable at the time. Designed by Sir William Chambers as a birthday gift for Princess Augusta, founder of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, it remains one of the garden’s most distinctive landmarks. The climb to the top was certainly worth it for the views!
The Henry Moore sculptures were equally impressive. Set against the landscape of Kew, their large-scale organic forms seemed perfectly at home, creating a wonderful dialogue between art and nature.
One of the highlights for me, however, was Queen Charlotte’s Cottage. Dating from 1772 and Grade II-listed, it is an early example of the cottage orné style. We learned from our guide that Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King George III, painted the beautiful flower and bamboo garlands that adorn the walls and ceiling of the first-floor reception room, known as the ‘Picnic Room’. The effect is stunning and a wonderful reminder of just what can be achieved with paint, imagination and talent. I loved how the bamboo detail in the wall murals is echoed in the chinoiserie furniture within the room. Those layers of detail and connection are what make an interior feel so considered.
A lovely way to make the most of the final days of summer. ☀️🌿
