Park/ Botanical GardensThe Eden Project

[CareBear, 12.08.2006] The Eden Project has oft been touted as one of the new wonders of the modern world. Five years on from its opening in 2001, does it live up to this claim?

Situated in picturesque Cornwall, not far from St Austell, The Eden Project has regenerated an old mining area and replaced an open china clay pit with three huge "biomes", two of which are polymer covered structures which are kept at varying temperatures to showcase an abundance of plant life. The Project is, essentially, a horticulturists delight but with one major difference. The aim of the Project is that it should be as green as possible. That's green in an environmental sense and not a colourful sense - there are far more colours than just green! The Project is a charitable one and is run to exacting charitable standards enforced by the trustees.

So, is it worth a visit?

I visited in May of this year (2006) more out of curiosity than real desire. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting but do know that it wasn't quite as I had thought.

Access to the Project is easy with brown tourist signposts from the major routes around the area. Although most visitors arrive by car more environmentally friendly modes of transport are encouraged and discounts off the entrance price are available if you opt for one of these methods. Cycling and walking routes are well signed.

The size of the project, and an indication as to how busy it gets in high season, is evident from the moment you go through the front gates. Car parks named after fruits greet you together with signs saying how far it is to walk to the centre. Marshals direct you to the nearest spaces. The furthest car parks involve walks in excess of 1 mile. Fear not though ye lazy, a free circular bus will actually take you to the centre (something I was very grateful for being 8 months pregnant!). The busses go from stops outside each of the parking areas. There is limited cover/shade but no seating, something worth bearing in mind if it is very sunny or if you cannot stand for too long. Disabled badge holders have allocated parking right up by the entrance but you do need a blue badge.

Before you enter the Project you can avail yourself of toilet facilities. These were plentiful and clean. Even the toilets run on an eco-friendly basis using rainwater to flush and recycled paper. Baby changing and disabled facilities are available.

Entrance to the Project is efficient. The snaking queue was long, even off-season, but it was well managed. A corporate sponsored mechanical display entertained the children as they waited - a short story about what would happen if there were no trees very clever. Processing of each visitor takes a little longer than simply paying your money. Being a charitable project visitors have the ability to Gift Aid their entrance fee meaning that the Project benefits from the tax element that would otherwise be payable on the fee. In order to do this, however, names and addresses of visitors need to be taken. You can opt not to gift aid but why would you not want to get some extra money for the charity and in fact lower your own tax liability when you fill in your tax return! One benefit to gift aiding your entrance fee is that you are entitled to return to Eden as many times as you want within the year for free - you will have to join another queue to get the membership card but if you do forget or the queue is too long you can apply for the card by post (see the website for details). Whether this "free" annual membership is worth anything rather depends on how likely you are to travel to the same area within the year but, as it costs no more to Gift Aid your entrance fee I would implore you to do so if you are a UK tax payer.

I was very impressed with the staff on the entrance. There were guide books to be purchased but these were not pushed. When we said we didn't want one we were given a map. I was also advised of the toilet and water facilities inside the park and also of the existence of an air-conditioned room within the tropical biome in case I needed it in my pregnant state! This was, in my opinion, very thoughtful.

There is quite a long walk downhill through outside planted areas to get to the biomes. The plants are all clearly labelled and their uses, be they medicinal, edible or industrial are given. It is here that you get the first true insight into the ethos that is Eden - a natural way of life. Due to the natural seasonality of plants there were quit a few areas that looked a little worse for wear - spring was over but summer yet to begin. For me, it was a shame that the planting had not been done in a way so as to provide a little more interest year round. I suspect that this was the case so as to allow planting of similar groups together but the visual effect was slightly marred as a result.

For those who are unable to manage the long walk down there is a land train (a tractor pulling carriages) that goes on a circular route down through the outside biome to the covered biomes. Unfortunately much of the outside planting is missed out if you take this route. If you can walk down, do (or borrow a wheelchair) and take the land train on the way back when going uphill.

The main attraction for many will be the covered biomes themselves. There are three climatic areas planted up so as to reflect the biodiversity of the areas that share such a climate. The three areas are tropical, temperate and outside.

The temperate biome, for me, was the best. Packed full of interesting planting together with lots of easy-to-read information about the plants, their uses and their relationship with man. Planting was interesting and a variety of levels, all accessible by wheelchair/pushchair, made for an interesting layout. I was quite surprised that the sensory experience was mainly limited to sight. A few birds in the biome gave some auditory experience but I was surprised at the lack of olfactory experience. Smell is the one sense that I really associate with plants but it seemed strangely lacking her.

There were few places to sit down in the temperate biome although some of the planter walls were being used as resting places. Plants were all within reach and, as a result, some nearer to the pathways were damaged and looked a little worse for wear. As ever, vandals had decided that carving names in cacti was a good idea. The temperature in this biome was comfortable - shirtsleeves were all that was required.

The second indoor biome is the tropical zone. The temperature and humidity was instantly noticeable. Initially it did not feel too uncomfortable but that did change quite quickly. Perhaps visiting when pregnant was not a good idea but within about 5 minutes my hands and feet had swollen quite considerably. Water coolers were provided and people were making good use of the ones that were obviously placed. There were, however, coolers that were placed off of the marked pathways and thus not noticeable unless you were looking carefully. We heard several people commenting that they were struggling with the heat and humidity. The route around the biome was clearly marked, as were several shortcuts in case you needed to get out. Interestingly, I did not notice the air-conditioned room that had been pointed out to me on the map.

The planting in this biome was very interesting but I felt that I could not spend as much time looking at the plants and the information as I would have liked. Certain areas of this biome are not accessible to wheelchairs and caution should be exercised throughout as the floors are very wet due to the humidifier sprays. There are some interesting displays of native habitation that would provide some interest for children. The tropical biome is probably the better of the two indoor biomes for children as many of the plants and exhibits are more recognisable in terms of the products that they give us (rubber, chocolate, bananas etc.).

A recent new addition to the site is an area called The Core. Essentially an education centre, The Core is more like an interactive museum. A good resource for children aged about 5 to 12 years old, exhibits show man's interaction with nature, the price of living and the dangers that face the world. It could be depressing, but with some careful adult explanations, food for thought. Children's activities are run in The Core including craft sessions and a particularly good puppet show. The show, aimed at primary school aged children was extremely funny and carried lessons at various levels. This new, hands-on area should help alleviate some of the boredom of just "looking at plants" that might otherwise be shown by today's increasingly hands-on generation. As a centre for education it succeeds.

As might by now be evident, the Eden Project is a sizeable site and one should look to spend best part of a day here. Facilities to ensure that you have a comfortable day are provided. Toilets are clean and reasonably plentiful although, as with most places, expect a queue for the ladies in the restaurant area. Food is easy to come by and not too extortionately priced. Fast food, traditional Cornish pasties and café-style meals are all available and of reasonable quality.

Shops within the Project sell sweets and ice-creams, camera film and batteries. Guide books and other topical purchases can also be made.

There is also a large gift shop which sells all manner of "green" and eco-friendly produce from consumables, through natural cotton clothes to novelty items. Like any gift shop at an attraction you exit through the shop so parents beware!

The green theme really is carried on throughout the whole site. Separate rubbish bins exist for the different types of recyclable rubbish, artwork is sustainable and energy conserved. There's plenty of scope for discussion of the ethos with children if you can be bothered.

For all of this, I was actually rather disappointed with the Project. Maybe it was the fact that we arrived out of season and so the outdoor biome was rather bare and bleak. Maybe it was the fact that I couldn't spend as long as I would have liked in the tropical biome. Maybe it was simply the lack (at the time) of a child with whom to interact and discuss the ideas.

I think that this is an attraction best visited with a child and viewed through their eyes. Having said that, it is probably not an attraction which, as a parent, you could visit passively. Interaction with the child would be a must. It's not Thorpe Park or Legoland. As an attempt to raise awareness of conservation and eco-living I think it succeeds.

Anything else? Well, there are special events staged at the Project from time to time including evening openings, pop groups and educational visits.

Weather should not spoil a visit to Eden, there is sufficient inside if it is raining. Clearly visits during school holidays are likely to be much busier than during term time and in my opinion this is an attraction that is best viewed when it is quieter to fully appreciate the exhibits in your own time. There are a few "crunch points" in the site where even on an out of season visit there was congestion. They do not detract from the visit to any great extent but were a little annoying (e.g. stairs from the café area to the entrance to the tropical Biome and the queue for the land train to go back up).

Recommended if you are in the area, particularly if you have interested children. I wouldn't make a special trip just to visit unless you are particularly interested in horticulture. If you enjoy attractions like Kew Gardens of RHS sites you should enjoy this. If a theme park is more your idea of fun then you might not.


Open all year (save Christmas Eve and Christmas Day).
Oct 30 - Mar 26 2006 10 am to 4.30pm (last entry at 3pm)
Mar 27 - Oct 29 2006 9am to 6pm (last entry 4.30pm)

Adults £13.80
Children (5-15) £5
Students £7
Family ticket £34

Group discounts are available and disabled carers go free.
As previously mentioned there are discounts available for arriving by "green" transport - bike, walking or public bus.


http://www.edenproject.co m/