Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Created | Updated Oct 9, 2007
Cambridge University Botanic Garden is one of Britain’s oldest Botanical gardens. It consists of 40 acres and some 10,000 labelled plants including some nine national collections.
History
The present gardens were founded by JS Henslow as a teaching resource for the University of Cambridge on land acquired in 1831 and opened in 1846. Henslow's historic garden is off Trumpington Street and contains the first systematic beds (an original feature). The first glasshouses were added in 1888 but after they started to rot were replaced with the present 1931/34 teak Glasshouse Range which has now being restored. In the 1970s the old Palm House was demolished and new one erected. The lake was added in the 1920s. The first phase of the Rock Garden was built in 1954-57 to represent a limestone habitat. The garden also has a large collection of trees that was started by Henslow and has now grown to be the largest collection in East Anglia. Many of these trees are found in the Woodland Garden.
In the 1960s the garden was extended to include an area that the garden rented out for allotments. The newer gardens include the famous and colourful Winter Garden opened in 1976. Also in the new garden is the Fen Display originally opened in 1960 and recently renewed and enlarged in 2005.
About the Gardens
The Systematics Beds is an original feature designed by Henslow. It is made up of 144 island beds organised by species or systematics. Systematics was a system that had never been used before. Variations have been adapted for use by other botanic gardens, but the beds in Cambridge are still unique.
The tree collection includes a large number of different species. In the main garden these are divided into groups of related species. Examples of the many important plants grown are the oldest Giant Redwoods in Britain and the first Dawn Redwood grown outside China. Another tree of some importance is the Black Walnut near the Bateman Street gate.
The Woodland Garden is dense woodland and glades with trees from all over the world under planted with bulbs and herbaceous plants. The paths snake through glades, which has colourful undergrowth in spring and summer.
The Winter Garden has a spectacular and colourful display when the rest of the garden is less vibrant. It contains many interesting and beautiful plants including heathers and dogwoods with their bright red and yellow stems. The garden was first opened in 1979 and is colourful from December to April.
The present Fen Display was introduced in 2005 after a huge revamp. The display contains plants native to the local fenland and Wicken Fen donated the plants. It consists of a bridge crossing an area of bog with a display in the middle.
The Rock Garden takes up two sides of the lake – one part shows those plants found in limestone habitats, the other shows that of sandstone.
In the Glasshouse Range the old teak Glasshouses and corridor have being restored to their former glory1. The glasshouses are:
- Continents Apart looks at the plants on the Cape of South Africa and Southwest Australia. 2
- Oceanic Islands looks at the floras of oceanic islands and the intense conservation challenges they face. It will include plants from the Canaries and the Galapagos
- The Alpine House looks at the range of plants grown as alpines in gardens
- The Wet Tropics and Palm House looks at the tropical rainforest and includes the colourful Jade Vine and the Titan Arum which flowered in 2004 3
- Carnivorous Plant house looks at carnivorous plants and their adaptations together with other plants
- Desert House looks at the Deserts of the world
The Gilmour building houses both the shop and the café. The shop sells cards, books, and prints of paintings by local botanical illustrator Georita Harriott.
Entrance
Opening times
The Gardens are open all year round except from 23 December to 2 January . The opening times are:
- 10am to 6pm April to September
- 10 am - 5 pm February, March and October
- 10 am - 4 pm November to January
Admission charges
The Entrance fee is £3 for adults and £2.50 concessions. From November till March on weekday there is no entrance fee. Friends of the Botanic Gardens go free for a £25 yearly subscription.4How to get there
There are two entrances:
- The Station Road gate on Hills Road is just opposite Station Road
- The Bateman Street main gate is just off Trumpington Street
By bus
Buses stop at Station Road corner near the Station Road gate: Buses include Babraham Road Park and Ride and Citi 1,3 and 7. The Trumpington Park and Ride also stops at the Bateman Street stop.5
By train
Cambridge Station is just a short walk from the gardens:
Trains are from London Kings Cross, London Liverpool Street, Norwich, Kings Lynn, and Birmingham New Street.
