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Buildings and Structures
Museums, Galleries and Other Historic Buildings
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Queen Charlotte's Cottage
This cottage began as a small single-storey building within the grounds of Richmond Lodge, which Queen Charlotte received as a wedding gift when she married George III in 1761. It was used as a summer house. During Queen Victoria's reign the Gardens at Kew were extended to their present size, but the Queen retained the cottage and 37 acres of surrounding woodland until she gave them to the public to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee of 1897.
The nearby Conservation Area contains one of the finest bluebell woods in the London area. The woods here are managed as a nature reserve and native plants and animals are encouraged, using traditional methods and management techniques such as coppicing. Bluebells flourish in the spring and among the birds that can be seen are tawny owls, blue and great tits, sparrowhawks and green woodpeckers. The area also supports many insects, including rare hoverflies.
The cottage has been restored to a good semblance of its original condition by Historic Royal Palaces and is administrated separately by them.
Whilst normally closed to the public, Queen Charlotte's Cottage is open each May-Day Bank Holiday in conjunction with our Spring Bluebells event. It is also open at weekends during July and August and on August Bank Holiday between 10:00 and 16:00.