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Eden Project

The Eden Project, built in an old china clay pit at Bodelva Cornwall, captures the modern preoccupation with the future of the Earth. 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 the 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. The 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. 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: "More people made their first rail journey in 1851 than had ever travelled by train before." Day tripping was both a cause and an effect of a more open society, into which the ideas of Darwin could finally be released. The Origin of Species was published 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. The out door area has plants representing the whole of 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: 5th November to 17th March 10am to 4:30pm, last entry 3pm, Monday to Thursday. Open until 9pm Friday and Saturday, open until 6pm Sunday. From 17th March to 5th November 10am to 6pm, last entry at 4:30pm. Closed on 24th and 25th December.

Directions: The Eden Project is four miles east of St Austell, signposted from the A30, the A390 and the 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 the size of the Eden Project, 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:

phone: +44 (0) 1726 811911

web site: www.edenproject.com