Buckingham Palace 'secret' gardens to be opened to visitors
source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1078528/Buckingham-Palace-open-gardens-public-time-s...
-
-
- TravG73
- added this
The gardens of Buckingham Palace are to be opened for public tours for the first time to raise money for their upkeep.
The Queen has given her permission for the 39 acres of lawns, lake and flowers to be opened to groups from next spring.
The £20-a-ticket tours could raise up to £70,000 a year to help pay for repairs and maintenance to the crumbling palace and its grounds.
The private gardens, which are the largest of their kind in the capital, are the venue for the Queen's summer parties.
Guy Barter, head of gardening advice at the Royal Horticultural Society, described them as an 'oasis in a sea of chaos and traffic'.
'One isn't conscious of the city which is all around them, and the gardeners have cleverly planted wild species all around the perimeter, which insulates the gardens from the roar of traffic,' he said.
'It is only when one looks up and sees the tops of tower blocks that one is reminded that the gardens are in the heart of the capital.'
Mr Barter said the design is not pretentious or 'fussy', but is more like a domestic garden, albeit on a grander scale.
'It is very much the Queen's private garden and that gives it an intimacy which is missing from the big public parks.
'They give an insight into the person, a private world away from her very public life
The Queen has given her permission for the 39 acres of lawns, lake and flowers to be opened to groups from next spring.
The £20-a-ticket tours could raise up to £70,000 a year to help pay for repairs and maintenance to the crumbling palace and its grounds.
The private gardens, which are the largest of their kind in the capital, are the venue for the Queen's summer parties.
Guy Barter, head of gardening advice at the Royal Horticultural Society, described them as an 'oasis in a sea of chaos and traffic'.
'One isn't conscious of the city which is all around them, and the gardeners have cleverly planted wild species all around the perimeter, which insulates the gardens from the roar of traffic,' he said.
'It is only when one looks up and sees the tops of tower blocks that one is reminded that the gardens are in the heart of the capital.'
Mr Barter said the design is not pretentious or 'fussy', but is more like a domestic garden, albeit on a grander scale.
'It is very much the Queen's private garden and that gives it an intimacy which is missing from the big public parks.
'They give an insight into the person, a private world away from her very public life
-
-
dirtyemowords
-
A wonderful idea, for the tourists. I presonally think the Queen warrants a little bit of privacy. Saying that, I'm phoning the palace to pre-order tickets as we speak...
- 3 years ago
-
dirtyemowords
-
-
TravG73
-
Having a tea and crumpets tent would be a good idea.
- 3 years ago
-
TravG73
