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Eden Project, Cornwall

The Eden Project, built in an old china clay pit at Bodelva Cornwall, captures the modern preoccupation with ecology. The Eden Project is a modern version of what was once called the "botanic garden." These were gardens designed with a scientific or economic purpose in mind. The botanical gardens of past centuries were concerned with supporting empires, studying exotic plants sent home from colonies, and assessing their economic value. They also offered botanical expertise to colonies. Nowadays botanical gardens see themselves as supporting the world community rather than a set of colonies. Kew Gardens in London, with its focus on conservation, is a good example of the change of emphasis. The Eden Project was designed from the outset with conservation in mind.

The Eden Project is made up of a number of huge domes, or biomes, in which visitors can walk amidst plants from various regions of the Earth. It is a huge, ambitious and beautiful place.

The Eden Project wants to be much more than a simple visitor attraction. Conservation research is carried out here, and the aim is to make the complexities of research more accessible to people.

You could of course ignore all these earnest musings and say that the Eden Project is just a good day out. And what's wrong with saying that? In fact you could say that a day trip is partly responsible for our ability to see the natural world as we do today. Biographers of Charles Darwin have suggested that increasing opportunities for people to take trips in the nineteenth century contributed to the freer society into which Charles Darwin finally felt able to publish The Origin of Species. This book, which has changed the way we look at the natural world, remained hidden in Darwin's study for many years, while it's author fretted over the risks of publishing it. The 1840s had been a difficult and tumultuous time for Britain, with the threat of revolution hanging over the country. By the beginning of the 1850s things were different. Society was more stable and forward looking. People flocked to the new London Zoo when it opened to the public in 1847, looking at the animals as bands played on the bandstand. Thirty thousand peeople visited in the first seven months. 1851 saw the Great Exhibition at Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace in Hyde Park. The railways offered concessionary fares to the exhibition. Huge numbers of people visited, and "day tripping became the rage." As Adrian Desmond and James Moore say in their biography of Darwin, daytripping was both a cause and an effect of a more open society, into which the ideas of Darwin could finally be released in 1859.

So enjoy your trip to the Eden Project. Your trip itself is part of the history of our perception of nature. Once there you will find all kinds of information about the natural world. There are two enclosed biomes, one dedicated to the humid tropics, and the other to warm temperate lands. An outdoor area has plants representing the temperate world.

There are information panels, guides, performances, workshops and events. Guided tours are available for individuals and groups. Education is important at the Eden Project and there is very good provision. Hundreds of school children visit every day. For information regarding school visits see the contact details below.

There are two restaurants between the biomes, a cafe in the ticket hall, and the Gallery restaurant, open in the summer months, offering great views of the biomes.

There is a shop selling environmentally friendly and Eden Project branded products.

Opening Times: from 4th January to 12th February and 2nd November to 17th December, Monday to Thursday, 11am -4pm, last admission 2.30pm; Friday and Saturday 11am -9pm, last admission 7.30pm; Sunday 10.30am - 6pm, last admission 4.30pm.

From 13th - 21st February open daily 10am - 6pm, last admission 4.30pm.

From 23rd February to 29th March open daily 10am - 4.30pm, last admission 3pm.

From 30th March to late October open daily 10am - 6pm, last admission 4.30pm.

Closed on 24th and 25th December and 25th and 26th January.

Christmas week opening as follows: 18th and 19th December 10.30am - 9pm, 20th to 23rd December 9.30am - 4.30pm, 26th and 27th December 10.30am - 6pm, 28th to 30th December 10.30am - 9pm, 31st December and 1st January 10.30am - 6pm, 2nd January 10.30am - 9pm and 3rd January 10.30am - 6pm. Last admission ninety minutes before closing.

Please check with the official website or telephone before your visit as some early closures are possible.

Address: Eden Project, Bodelva, St Austell, Cornwall PL24 2SG

Directions: The Eden Project is four miles east of St Austell, signposted from the A30, A390 and A391. Buses run daily from St Austell, Newquay, Helston, Falmouth and Truro. The nearest train station is St Austell. The Eden Project is on the National Bike Network. Click here for an interactive map centred on the Eden Project. Have a look at at the satellite view.

Access: wheelchair access is good throughout the site, although Eden Project's size, at over thirty five acres, should be bourne in mind. Manual wheelchairs are available. Visitors are welcome to use their own motorised chairs. There are gradients, but these have been kept to a minimum and shouldn't present a problem, especially if you stick to the main route.

Contact:

telephone: 0 1726 811911

web site: www.edenproject.com

 

For plants to complete your garden, click on the link below.