Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG) marked a significant milestone at its recent director’s drinks midsummer party, celebrating the opening of the new Station Road visitor entrance, which opened earlier this year.
Cambridge University Botanic Garden, the official opening of the new entrance on Hills Road. Picture: Keith Heppell
The evening event – held in the garden’s shady autumn colour area after an opening ceremony next to the new building and landscaping – brought together key stakeholders, including the project’s funders Thalia WB Community Fund, members of the university’s Estates Division, and colleagues from across the garden and wider university and Cambridge community, to recognise the collaborative effort behind the delivery of the new entrance and ticket office.
Cambridge University Botanic Garden’s director, Professor Beverley Glover, said: “It is wonderful to see how this part of the garden has evolved.
“What was once a secondary entrance here at Station Road has become the main gateway to more than half of our visitors, and it is only right that their first experience reflects the quality and ambition of the garden as a whole.
“This fantastic new building allows us to offer a far warmer welcome, with improved ticketing, retail and visitor facilities including toilets, all which make a real difference to every visit.
“I am particularly pleased that we now have a space here where people can pause and browse, whether they are regular visitors or simply passing by from the surrounding area.
Cambridge University Botanic Garden, the official opening of the new entrance on Hills Road. Picture: Keith HeppellCambridge University Botanic Garden, the official opening of the new entrance on Hills Road. Professor Kamal Munir, pro-vice-chancellor for university community and engagement, and CUBG director Beverley Glover. Picture: Keith HeppellCambridge University Botanic Garden, the official opening of the new entrance on Hills Road. Picture: Keith HeppellCambridge University Botanic Garden, the official opening of the new entrance on Hills Road. Professor Kamal Munir, pro-vice-chancellor for university community and engagement, and CUBG director Beverley Glover. Picture: Keith HeppellCambridge University Botanic Garden, the official opening of the new entrance on Hills Road. Picture: Keith Heppell
“This project has been a truly collaborative effort, and I would like to thank everyone involved – from our partners in the University Estates Division to the architects, builders and, of course, our generous supporters including Thalia Community Foundation and Cambridge Community Foundation.
“It has also given our horticulture teams a rare chance to shape an entirely new landscape, drawing together expertise from across the garden to create something that is both beautiful and botanically rich, and which will continue to evolve and inspire for years to come.”
Cambridge University Botanic Garden, the official opening of the new entrance on Hills Road. Professor Kamal Munir, pro-vice-chancellor for university community and engagement, and CUBG director Beverley Glover. Picture: Keith HeppellCambridge University Botanic Garden, the official opening of the new entrance on Hills Road. Professor Kamal Munir, pro-vice-chancellor for university community and engagement, and CUBG director Beverley Glover. Picture: Keith HeppellCambridge University Botanic Garden, the official opening of the new entrance on Hills Road. Picture: Keith HeppellCambridge University Botanic Garden, the official opening of the new entrance on Hills Road. Picture: Keith HeppellCambridge University Botanic Garden, the official opening of the new entrance on Hills Road. Picture: Keith Heppell
A highlight of the evening was the ceremonial planting of a commemorative tree by the university’s pro-vice-chancellor for University Community and Engagement, Professor Kamal Munir.
The tree, Pyrus regelii – planted in the new landscape behind the new visitor welcome building – holds particular significance, having been collected during a 2023 Cambridge University Botanic Garden expedition to Kyrgyzstan and later propagated from seed by the garden’s glasshouse team.
Its planting reflects CUBG’s ongoing commitment to plant exploration, conservation and scientific research. For more on CUBG, visit botanic.cam.ac.uk.
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