 |
 |
 |
 |
|||
 |
 |
History and Heritage
History
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
William Andrews Nesfield (1793 - 1881)
Nesfield’s first passion had been for watercolour painting, but this later changed to landscape gardening. After the original arboretum at Kew became too overcrowded, Nesfield was asked to design a new one. His extensive plans included a number of vistas stemming from the Palm House, a parterre and remodelling the Palm House Pond. Two vistas would stretch from the west side of the Palm House. There would be one vista pointing south, called the Pagoda Vista, and in the westerly direction Nesfield planned the Syon Vista, pointing towards the River Thames. He was also responsible for the planting plans for the Broad Walk, running from the Palm House Pond to Kew Palace.
Nesfield went on to design the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society in 1860 where his formal designs were able to be more fully realised than within the botanic and educational structure of Kew.
(Further information: Ray Desmond’s article in the Spring 2000 edition of the Kew Magazine, published for the Friends of Kew.)