Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Pagoda at Kew was designed by the famous architect William Chambers; completed in 1762 it was the tallest reconstruction of a Chinese building of its time in Europe, nearly 50 m and having 253 steps. The ten-storey octagonal structure tapers, with successive floors from the first to the topmost being 30 cm less in diameter and height than the preceding one. The original building was very colourful; the roofs being covered with varnished iron plates, with a dragon on each corner. There were 80 dragons in all, each carved from wood and gilded with real gold. Although there have been several restorations, mainly to the roofs, the original colours and the dragons have not been replaced, even though replica dragon were discussed in 1979. In 2006 the Pagoda was opened to the general public for the first time in recent memory. Those who climb its 253 steps are rewarded with spectacular views across the gardens and across London, with the London Eye, the new Wembley Stadium, and as far as Canary Wharf all visible.