The cache is located at the world-class Botanical Gardens
in Belfast, with its great greenhouses and glorious herbaceous
walkways, formal bedding and shrubberies. Botanic Gardens occupies
28 acres of south Belfast, the gardens are popular with office
workers, students and tourists. The Ulster Museum is located at the
main entrance. With its unique glasshouses, collections of tropical
plants, outdoor plantings and mature trees, Botanic Gardens is a
key part of Belfast`s Victorian heritage.
There is a statue of Belfast born Physicist Lord Kelvin at the
entrance to the Botanic gardens and the cache takes it name from
this.
Botanic Gardens has two important Victorian buildings.
THE PALM HOUSE was built between 1839 and 1852 and houses
a valuable range of tropical plants. The Palm House is one of the
earliest examples of a curvilinear and cast iron glasshouse. Its
construction was initiated by the Belfast Botanical and
Horticultural Society in the 1830s. The two wings were completed in
1840, and were built by Richard Turner of Dublin, who later built
the Great Palm House at Kew Gardens. Over the years, the Palm House
has acquired a reputation for good plant collections. The cool wing
houses all year round displays of colour and scent using plants
such as geranium, fuchsia, begonia and bulb displays. The stove
wing and dome area contain a range of temperate and tropical plants
with particular emphasis on species of economic value. The gardens
contain the Tropical Ravine, Rose Gardens and fine herbaceous
borders.
The Tropical Ravine , which is the only one of its kind
in Britain, opened in 1889.
Botanic Gardens also contains collections of oak and
hornbeam species dating from the 1860s and a small alpine garden
which was added in 2000.
Open April - September: Mon - Fri 10.00-12.00 & 13.00-17.00,
Sat - Sun 13.00-17.00 October - March: Mon - Fri 10.00-12.00 &
13.00-16.00, Sat - Sun 13.00-16.00 Public Holidays as Saturday
& Sunday Admission Free
THE CACHE has been replaced with a small plastic tube
containing only a log book, so please bring your own pen/pencil.
When the vegetation thickens out again, I'll replace it with a
larger container.