Kew Royal Botanic Gardens

Kew is a fantastic attraction with a variety of fascinating biomes and attractions mapping the UK's botanical history from it's colonial roots (pun intended!) to modern ecological stewardship and scientific research. Really solid efforts have been made to compassionately accommodate various disabilities however the sheer size of the campus and the historical nature of many of the greenhouses can make it a challenging visit, especially for those with mobility issues.

Went here with a bit of trepidation. I knew there were some areas which were inaccessible to wheelchair users but a lot of able-bodied people didn't do those. Even the Treetop walkway was accessible in a wheelchair which was different. Out of the three main buildings (Palm House, Temperate House and The Princess of Wales Conservatory) I was surprised that the Princess of Wales Conservatory (built in 1987) was the least accessible, the other two are over a century old with one modification on the Temperate house to allow step-free access. I was very happy with my visit, might go again.

So much to see we couldn’t see it all in a day. Loads of accessible paths for wheelchair users, accessible toilets , cafes, restaurants and plenty to keep the kids interested. You need to present proof of PIP (!) to get in for £2 , which is a massive discount (so worth doing) but a bit of a weird thing to ask for. Hopefully if you read this you will bring yours!