BRUNEL, CHIHULY, KEW GARDENS DAY

After breakfast we made our way to Embankment where we joined a walk to learn more about Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

 

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who was he? He is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history and one of the 19th-century engineering giants and "one of the greatest figures of the Industrial Revolution who changed the face of the English landscape with his groundbreaking designs and ingenious  constructions”. Brunel built dockyards, the Great Western Railway, a series of steamships including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship, and numerous important bridges and tunnels. His designs revolutionized public transport and modern engineering.

Though Brunel's projects were not always successful, they often contained innovative solutions to long-standing engineering problems. During his career, Brunel achieved many engineering firsts, including assisting in the building of the first tunnel under a navigable river (the Thames).  He designed and built three ships that revolutionized naval engineering: the SS Great Western, The SS Great Britain and the SS Great Eastern.

The Great Eastern slipway 

The Thames Tunnel can, to this day, be traversed by riding the London Overground from Wapping to Rotherhithe.  A visit to the small Brunel’s Museum helps one understand the need for transport across the River Thames during those early years. There was a vast amount of shipping which clogged  the river with ships, and goods needed to be transported from the Southside to the Northside of the River Thames. 

After enjoying a ferry ride beneath Brunel’s bridges, a walk along the Thames, and exploring the entrance to Brunel’s first tunnel and museum, we made our way across London to Kew Gardens via the Overground, Jubilee Line and then District Line. 

 

Inside the Tunnel Caisson 

After enjoying a ferry ride beneath Brunel’s bridges, a walk along the Thames, and exploring the entrance to Brunel’s first tunnel and museum, we made our way across London to Kew Gardens via the Overground, Jubilee Line and then District Line.

KEW GARDENS 

If one enjoys a visit to gardens, the Kew Gardens is a must, at over 300 acres it has botanics from around the world, luscious great lawns and many green houses where the greenery of the world is displayed. Kew Gardens has more of a park feel and again it is a place where one should pack a picnic.

Some of the highlights for me were the areas where they talked about bees and their importance. There was also a Tree Top Walkway where one climbs to a walkway among the tops of the trees. This really gives one a different perspective.

Iconic artist Dale Chihuly is exhibiting his luminous glass artworks, featuring pieces never seen before in the UK.In the most biodiverse place in the world, you will see the perfect marriage of art, science and nature as Chihuly's dazzling sculptures transform the Gardens and glasshouses into a contemporary outdoor gallery space.

We visited during the day and then had dinner at The Greyhound, a very dog friendly local pub, before returning for the Chihuly Nights, to see his artwork illuminated by lights.