Kew

The Rhizotron and Xstrata Treetop walkway, crafted from over 400 tons of weathered steel, rises 18 metres high (59ft) to allow visitors the opportunity to walk among the highest parts of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.

400 tonnes of steel was used to build the walkway

The 200 metre long walkway takes you underground to the Rhizotron where the trees root systems are explained with models, video displays and facts surrounding these huge organisms.

The walkway takes you up on a journey where you will experience the biodiversity of life among the canopy of sweet chestnuts, limes and oaks. You will discover the natural world of birds, insects and plant life that rely on the trees and view parts of London as never before.

The Walkway takes visitors past sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), lime and broad-leaved oak trees as well as pine trees; 14 new trees are also being planted to enhance the experience. The tallest tree is a 25 metre high sweet chestnut.

The project has been led Tony Kirkham, head of Kew's Arboretum and Horticultural Services. Tony, a familar face from BBC Two's 'The trees that made Britain', has been regularly in tree canopies across the world and is delighted visitors can enjoy the same experience.

The walkway is 18m above the ground

"We hope [they will] realise trees do matter and we need to nurture them," Project manager Tony Kirkham said

"As a trained arborist I have had the privilege of being up in the tree canopy, experiencing trees at height and birds and other wildlife from a completely different perspective.

"It's fantastic that we are able to give visitors the same experience."

Treetop Facts

• The Tree Top Walkway is 18m high and 200m long
• Foundations for the walkway are 12-18m deep concrete piles strategically located to avoid the tree roots
• Over 400 tonnes of weathering steel was used. 12 walkway trusses connect 10 ‘node’ platforms, incorporating interpretation points, which are spaced 15m apart.
• A classroom platform which can accommodate a school group of up to 35 for educational visits overlooks the Temperate House and contains a bench to enable visitors to rest.
• The truss configuration is inspired by the Fibonacci sequence found in growth patterns in nature
• The Walkway can accommodate up to 3,000 visitors per day
• The Walkway takes visitors past sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), lime and broad-leaved oak trees as well as pine trees; 14 new trees are also being planted to enhance the experience.
• The tallest tree is a 25 metre high sweet chestnut.
• Visitors may spot birds such as treecreepers, nuthatches, tawny owls, green and greater spotted woodpeckers, jays and magpies; many species of wildfowl including wood ducks and Eqyptian geese, ring necked parakeets, insects including butterflies; and mosses and lichens. Bats and badgers on the ground below may also be spotted at dusk.
• A tree will absorb a tonne of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Woodlands are very effective carbon sinks and vital in the fight against climate change.
• 2008 is Kew Gardens’ Year of the Tree

Xstrata Treetop Walkway, Royal Botanic Gardens-Kew

Royal Botanic Gardens
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 3AB

Enquiries: email info@kew.org or tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5655

Please visit the website or telephone for opening times and admission prices.