Great Pagoda
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The Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens in southwest London was built in 1761 by Sir William Chambers as a present for Princess Augusta, the founder of the gardens. Constructed of grey brick, the pagoda comprises 10 storeys, totalling 163 ft in height, with 253 steps to the viewing gallery.
attractions: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Treetop Walkway, Treetop Walkway, Colossus, Palm House, Shirley Sherwood Gallery, Marianne North Gallery, Pools on the Park, Chokushi-Mon & Japanese Landscape - Kew Gardens, Temperate House, restaurants: The Tap on the Line, Kew, Rock and Rose Richmond, One Kew Road, The Shaftesbury, Antipodea Kew, Rara Kew, Chatora - Modern Indian Restaurant, Q Verde, Kew Gardens Hotel, Pavilion Bar and Grill
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The Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens in southwest London was built in 1761 by Sir William Chambers as a present for Princess Augusta, the founder of the gardens. Constructed of grey brick, the pagoda comprises 10 storeys, totalling 163 ft in height, with 253 steps to the viewing gallery.
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We looked foward to going into the Great Pagoda, but it's really more impressive on the outside than it is inside. Me and my wife climbed to the top and said, in unison, "Is that it?!!". You need to book for an access slot, but curiously, the online system showed the pagoda as being fully booked when we enquired at the information desk, whereas the ticket office gave us a time without any problem. When we got to the pagoda the staff there said it was a very quiet day - go figure, lol! There were a number of guides ready to answer questions, although they looked uncomfortable in the period dress that they were wearing - this clothing choice seemed unnecessary and even a bit odd, but they did know their stuff. BTW, the Great Pagoda is managed not by Kew Gardens, but by the Historic Royal Palaces (along with the Tower of London etc...), and you pay a charge to them, over and above the Kew entrance fee. The climb up the circular staircase isn't too taxing, being broken into levels (NB, no disabled access), and the views over the site are great. Having said that, there isn't much to see inside the building, it's very bare - I would have liked there to be much more in the way of reading matter and artefacts.
Peter ClaytonPeter Clayton
10
The Pagoda, designed by Sir William Chambers and completed in 1762, beautifully encapsulates the charm of East Asian architecture that inspired its creation. It is adorned with 80 wooden dragons as symbols of strength. Climbing the spiral wooden stairs with 253 steps to the top of this historic, 10-story, 263 years old structure, standing nearly 50 meters tall, was a rewarding experience. The panoramic views of London from such a unique vantage point are undoubtedly breathtaking. What a memorable experience to share with my 10 year old son, who was keen on climbing the stairs!! It was engaging for him as he looked through the windows to spot various London landmarks. If you have only short time or older people or children under the age of 5, skip it and go for tree top adventure instead which has lift too. Tickets cost £4.50 per adult with some discount for Kew members. Great Pagoda is in the Kew Gardens and entry tickets to Kew Gardens is separate to this.
Aruna Chalasani (ARC)Aruna Chalasani (ARC)
10
The highest highlight! In the furthest southeast corner is one of the most striking buildings of the gardens: the Great Pagoda, a superb example of Chinoiserie. Sir William Chambers designed the pagoda in 1761 as a present for Princess Augusta, widow of Crown Prince Frederick and founder of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Constructed of gray brick, the pagoda comprises ten storeys, totalling 50 meters in height. After years of restoration, during which the 80 dragons returned to their place on the roofs, the pagoda reopened to the public in 2018. The dragons had been removed as early as 1784, not because they were gold and sold to pay off the king's debts, but simply because the wooden statues had largely rotted away. And whether you climb the pagoda or just admire it from the outside, it is and remains a highlight!
KoenKoen
60
The Great Pagoda in Kew is a ten storied Chinese style pagoda designed oddly enough by an Englishman by the name of Sir William Chambers. Each story is built with an octagonal roof and adorned with 8 dragons for the corner of each side for a total of 80 dragons. Interestingly enough, the dragons get progressively smaller the higher up the pagoda in proportion with the size of each story which gives it a wonderful perspective. The only negative was that I was outraged at having to pay extra to climb what is already a considerable outlay for entrance to the Kew alone. So I didn't pay the extra and chose to admire the building from the outside. And it's very beautiful even from there.
macedonboymacedonboy
20
A huge warning, if like me you decide that nothing but the top of the pagoda will do for you, your legs will slowly start to disintegrate and you will lose the will to live. My husband and I decided that we would pay the £4.50 it took to gain entrance and climb straight to the top without stopping, we were huffing and puffing after the 6th floor and our legs became jelly as we basked in the glory of the views from the top floor. You can't actually open the windows or go on to the balcony area but the views are still nice. It was worth it, but 3 days later and our legs are still in agony. Still worth it.
Z HumaZ Huma
30
If you can make it up the 253 steps, the view from the top is amazing. You can see Wembley Arch to the north and over to Central London to the east. I'd say the best views over the park are from about two thirds of the way up - just because you are shining the tree-tips and the perspective isn't quite so weird. Photographs here are from the top level. The information boards are fascinating. As you go up the levels, the decorative painting of the numbers indicating which level you have reached becomes more intricate. They are really beautiful by the top!
Deborah SDeborah S
00
Nearby Attractions Of Great Pagoda
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Treetop Walkway
Treetop Walkway
Colossus
Palm House
Shirley Sherwood Gallery
Marianne North Gallery
Pools on the Park
Chokushi-Mon & Japanese Landscape - Kew Gardens
Temperate House
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
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Treetop Walkway
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Nearby Restaurants Of Great Pagoda
The Tap on the Line, Kew
Rock and Rose Richmond
One Kew Road
The Shaftesbury
Antipodea Kew
Rara Kew
Chatora - Modern Indian Restaurant
Q Verde
Kew Gardens Hotel
Pavilion Bar and Grill
The Tap on the Line, Kew
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Rock and Rose Richmond
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One Kew Road
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The Shaftesbury
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Phone
+44 20 8332 5655
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Website
hrp.org.uk
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