Decimus Burton (1800-1881)

Decimus Burton, the son of a London builder, first trained as an architect and met early with success – his designs for the Colosseum in Regent’s Park were accepted when he was just 23 years old. In 1825, he was appointed by the government to carry out improvements in Hyde Park, including the lay out of roads and the erection of the façade and triumphal arch at Hyde Park Corner. Burton also carried out many works for wealthy individuals, such as Holwood House in Kent (1823) and the Calverley Estate near Tunbridge Wells (1828). He was, however, mainly involved with town houses and country villas, including several villas in Regent’s Park, with several gentlemen’s clubs, including the Athenaeum.

He was responsible for the design of the first Zoological Gardens in Regent’s Park (1827-1828) as well as further extensions in the 1830s. In 1830, he was appointed the architect for Charing Cross Hospital in London. He also designed several churches, of which Holy Trinity in Tunbridge Wells was the most ambitious (1827-1829).

Burton’s involvement with Kew started in 1840 and lasted until 1870. He was first commissioned to design layouts in the shape of paths, a terrace and a mound formed from material from the lake. He also designed some specialised gardens in particular arrangements such as the medieval and rose gardens. However, Burton’s most notable feature is the Palm House designed and built over four years, between 1844 and 1848, being at the time the largest glass house in the world. His other works at Kew include the Temperate House or Winter Garden to house the plants from Australia, Central and South America and the Himalayas. The House was started in 1862 but was not completed until 1897-98 due to lack of funds, although a section did open to the public in 1863. Other smaller works included the Water Lily House, completed in 1852 and the new entrance known as Victoria Gate (1848) built on land donated to Kew by Queen Victoria, for which Burton designed the huge wrought iron gates. Decimus Burton retired from practice in 1869 and died in December 1881.

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