I’ve featured Kew Gardens with its vast array of beautiful, and sometimes, rare plants on several occasions. What isn’t so well known about the Botanical Gardens is that they are also home to four Grade I listed buildings and 36 Grade II listed structures.
One of my favourites is this orange brick building, with its curved gables and rows of chimneys.
You can clearly see the Dutch or Flemish influence here, and it is also known as the Dutch House.
It was originally built for a rich merchant in the 1630s and was first used as a royal residence in 1729 by George II and Queen Caroline as a home for their eldest daughters. It later became associated with the ‘madness’ of George III as a place for him to be hidden during his infamous episodes of ‘madness’.
