Surrey

Surrey is in the South/East of England. It is one of the “Home Counties” around London. The North Downs cross the county from East to West. To the North the land slopes gently downward to the Thames, into which flow Surrey's main streams, the Wey and the Mole. The Southern slopes of the Downs are more wild and rugged. About one quarter of the total area is devoted to agriculture; with dairy farming, market gardening and wheat and oat cultivation. Epsom and Ewell is known for horse racing and Kew for the Royal Botanic Gardens (popularly known as Kew Gardens). Historically, at Runnymede King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. In Anglo-Saxon times, Surrey was variously under the dominion of Mercia and Wessex and was overrun in the 9th century by the Danes.

For the visitor, Kew Gardens offers so much more than plants. The gardens were founded by the dowager princess of Wales in 1761 and consisted of about 9 acres. In 1841 they were presented to the nation as a royal gift. They now cover 288 acres and contain thousands of species of plants, four museums, laboratories and hothouses. The Chinese Pagoda, around 165 ft (50 m) high, was designed by William Chambers in 1761 and remains a famous landmark. Near the main entrance is Kew Palace, a red-brick mansion, once the home of George III and Queen Charlotte. The Millennium Seed Bank, a modern facility storing hundreds of millions of seeds from around the world, is also located here at Wakehurst Place.