10 of the UK’s best botanical hothouses for a winter warm-up

Where can you see the world’s oldest pot plant? Or walk from Australia to Chile in two minutes? Here’s our pick of botanical wonderlands, many restored to their Victorian splendour

There are many ways to get some winter heat into your bones. Some countries swear by saunas; others partake of hot springs or sweat lodges. In Britain, however, there is an alternative that doesn’t involve taking your clothes off: the tropical hothouse.

Early practitioners of hothouse horticulture faced formidable obstacles: in the 15th century, alchemist George Ripley suffered death for making a pear tree, “fructify in winter”. It was Victorian gardeners, however, who really triumphed, erecting massive structures and growing rarities like pineapples, bananas and even papayas. Not that things always went smoothly, the Palm House at Kew was opened in 1848, but the curators had managed to kill many of the specimens by 1895 (tinted green glass was a bad idea). Since then, science has ironed out many problems and green technology powers a new wave of fine, steamy hothouses around the country. In addition, some of our best Victorian hothouses have been significantly modernised while keeping the original look.