Security at Kew Gardens

Our security team

Kew Gardens Constables, our dedicated Kew Constabulary team, are on site 365 days a year to keep our visitors, staff and precious collections safe.

The team are not only a friendly face; they are professionally trained to carry out vital security checks of visitors entering Kew, and to look out for anything suspicious around the Gardens and in our buildings.

Our team also work closely with other local security services and partners, including the police, and have state of the art technology to assist them.

Did you know? The Royal Botanic Gardens Constabulary was formed all the way back in 1845.

Arriving at Kew Gardens

Bag and some additional checks may be required when arriving at Kew, to ensure the safety and security of all our visitors.

We don’t allow any items which are illegal in the UK to be taken into the Gardens, as well as items such as bikes and scooters. Please check our dos and don'ts for a full list of items not allowed in the Gardens, as well as other tips to ensure you have an enjoyable visit.

We do not have locker facilities at Kew so you should keep all your belongings with you throughout your visit. Any items left behind may be removed or destroyed.

Our Constabulary deal with all lost property in the Gardens. If you are missing something that you believe was lost at Kew please get in touch as soon as you can with your details and a description of the item. Our team will be able to let you know if we can get you reunited.

Bag searches

We operate a bag searching policy: your bags may be searched when you arrive at the Gardens or before entering specific areas within them. You must comply with our staff and stewards if they request to search your bags as a condition of entry.

An updated list of prohibited items is displayed at our entrance gates. If any prohibited items or items believed to be a risk are identified they will be removed from your possession and, where possible, returned when you leave the Gardens. If our staff or stewards find any items that are suspected to be illegal they are required to confiscate them.

Any items affiliated with protests may be removed and held by our security team. This includes but is not limited to banners, posters, placards, signs, stickers, leaflets, flyers, glue, paint and solvents. Items may be confiscated even if these materials are not intended for protests related to Kew Gardens.

Stay alert

We ask all our visitors to stay alert and report anything that doesn’t seem right to a member of staff, no matter how small. All of our staff are security trained and will be happy to help.