Gardens of Richmond & Kew united

When George III inherited Kew Gardens on the death of his mother Princess Augusta in 1772, Richmond Gardens, Kew Gardens and much riverside property came under single ownership for the first time in their history.

However, it was not until 1802 that George physically united the gardens by closing Love Lane, which had been the main public right of way from Kew to Richmond, and taking down the walls that had divided the two royal estates.

In the years between, George III made several changes to the Gardens. In Kew Gardens, two sunken fences and a strip of trees dividing them were removed. The Alhambra and the Gothic Cathedral were demolished, and the Menagerie and Aviary were reduced to grass. He apparently retained the Chinese Ting from the centre of the Menagerie, but not the pond in which it had stood. He also repaired various garden buildings, including the Temple of Solitude, the Pagoda and the House of Confucius.

Change came to Richmond Gardens, too, with the northern half of the Wild Ground being planted with trees. In the same period the New Mount, an unknown building on its top and the Grass Plot in front of the Hermitage were removed.

Once the Gardens were physically united, George III and his Head Gardener, now William Aiton, undertook more changes in an attempt to make one unified landscape. Most of the Lake was backfilled to create the Home Lawn. Two new southern gateways were made; Lion Gate and the Oxenhouse Gate.

But all this change in plantings and buildings is less significant than the change of direction for the Gardens, a seminal change brought about by the association of King George III and Sir Joseph Banks.

Back to: 1771-1820: George III and Joseph Banks