• Zone 2: Eel Pie Island to Brentford Ait

Description

Did you know...?

• The Great River Race takes place in September and includes boats of all shapes and sizes in a twenty-two mile rowing race from Greenwich to Teddington. Boats have to carry a cox and a passenger and are set off on a handicap system with the slowest starting first. There are usually about three hundred boats (from Viking longboats to Chinese dragon boats), with crews from around the world. As well as being a marvelous spectacle, the race is one of the few times these days that you can see the Thames really busy with boats.

• The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew are about half way from Westminster to Hampton Court. They owe their origins to George III's father, Frederick Prince of Wales and his wife Augusta, who began planting around their palace in the 1730s. It was enlarged over the years and many famous gardeners, including Capability Brown who designed the rhododendron walks, have contributed to its development. Today, Kew Gardens covers some 300 acres and its plant laboratories are world-renowned.

• Capability Brown also landscaped the water meadow at Syon House which floods twice daily and is a protected nature reserve for, amongst others, the rare Hairy German Snail.

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