Meet the people who work to make sure your day out is magic

What happens behind the scenes at some of the UK’s most popular tourist attractions? Writer Richard Edwards talks to the people keeping the magic running behind the scenes at the Tower of London and Kew Gardens.

Holiday season is well and truly upon us, and there’s no better time than now to explore some of the UK’s most popular tourist destinations.

But what goes into making a truly magical day out? We spoke to people working behind the scenes at some of Boundless’s approved partner attractions to find out how they make sure kids and grown-ups alike will remember their trip long after they’ve gone home.

PexelsThe Tower of London

The Tower of London was originally built by William the Conqueror to be one of the strongest fortresses in England. Since the construction of its famous White Tower began in the 11th century, the site has expanded to house the Crown Jewels, been used as a jail for high-profile political prisoners (two of Henry VIII’s wives were executed there), and was even – until the early 19th century – the home of the Royal Mint.

Welcoming millions of visitors every year was never part of William I’s plan, of course, but the Tower is now the most popular paid-for tourist destination in the UK. As such, bringing people to this famous landmark by the River Thames – a location overflowing with history – presents its own unique challenges.

“You have to expect the unexpected,” says Anna Kimber, deputy governor and head of operations at the Tower of London. “Last year we wanted to put an accessibility lift into the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula – it’s a working chapel, but we’ve also got three Queens of England buried in there and two saints. There’s more royalty in that chapel than anywhere in the UK outside of Westminster Abbey, so it is a really special place, but it’s not accessible to people in wheelchairs.

To put in the foundations for steps that convert into an accessible ramp we had to dig down 12 feet, and when we did we came across over 30 bodies. That’s not [entirely] unexpected, given the fact that the chapel’s been there since the 1500s, but it’s part of life at the Tower!”

The Tower of London is managed by Historic Royal Palaces, a body that also looks after (among others) Hampton Court Palace in London and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland. As a charity, it has to generate its own income to maintain and conserve its attractions, with around two thirds of its annual financial requirements supported by ticket sales.

© Historic Royal PalacesThe Tower has to cater to a broad range of visitors of different ages from all over the world, coming for the history, the architecture, the Crown Jewels or maybe even the famous ravens. It also puts on special events throughout the year – for two weeks in August, for example, Imagining Animals unleashed a menagerie of giant puppet creatures, recreating the days when the site was a forerunner of London Zoo.

All this happens against the backdrop of the thriving community who call the Tower of London home. Some 40 families live within its walls – the gates are still locked every night – with the famous Yeoman Warders (more commonly known as Beefeaters) and Anna herself among them.

“When we put on an evening event it’s something to behold,” Anna explains.

“Clearly we can’t set anything up until our day visitors are gone, so come six o’clock when the trucks are rolling in bringing the tables, chairs, the cutlery, all the food, my events team are really careful to mention that it’s also a home. Day visitors on the battlements will look down and see clothes driers with Yeoman Warders’ uniforms on them. There’s a whole community here, so it definitely adds a different dynamic to life at the Tower.”

The Yeoman Warders are much more than tour guides decked out in famous uniforms. To qualify, you have to have served at least 22 years in the military, and – as residents of the Tower – the Beefeaters bring a unique perspective to some of the most historical buildings on the planet.

“When we have tourism experts come in they all report that [the Yeoman Warder tours] are something really special,” says Anna. “It’s a combination of the history of the Yeoman Warders, the fact they are residents of the Tower, and that they’ve all had a previous life in one of the armed forces. Their knowledge is phenomenal in terms of historical facts, but they’re all individuals, they’re all quirky, so they all add their own personalities. There’s so much history and information wrapped up in that individual Yeoman Warder personally and professionally that there is nothing else like it.”

© Historic Royal PalacesIf wrangling all this sounds akin to a major military operation then Anna is well placed to know. She spent 32 years in the British Army, and was also the national director for commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

“I've got a logistics background, so I’d think I can knit the pieces together, but the army is not the same as running a tourist attraction,” Anna admits. “It’s still knitting different groups of people together who’ve got different jobs to make the overall operation work, and dealing with things that go wrong, which inevitably happen.

“Clearly I don’t have a background in understanding the constraints of working with a 1,000-year-old building, but I’m only a phone call away from historians, conservators and curators who have got experience in all of that. It’s a big team effort at the end of the day.”

Boundless offer: The Tower of London is a part of Historic Royal Palace’s portfolio of sites. Boundless Plus members can enjoy unlimited access to Historic Royal Palaces sites, including Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, and Kensington Palace. You can also get admission for one child per visit.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

PexelsThe Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in West London are world renowned. With around 500 scientists on the payroll, Kew works to improve our understanding of plants and fungi, protect biodiversity around the world, and study sustainable solutions to the climate crisis and other challenges facing the planet. It also welcomes more than 2.2 million visitors through its gates every year, where they can enjoy the natural beauty inside its vast glasshouses, or simply wander around the impressive 320-acre site.

This year it’s also acting as a vast open-air art gallery, as the Henry Moore: Monumental Nature exhibition (which runs until 31 January 2027) showcases one of Britain’s most celebrated artists.

“Part of my role is driving visits to Kew, because every ticket fuels the engine of our global science organisation,” says Paul Denton, director of creative programmes and exhibitions at Kew. “The summer period is key for us, so we like to have a blockbuster show.

“Explaining why plants and fungi matter is also at the core of what Kew does, so we often work with creative practitioners, or artists, because they can often distil the complex science we cover – such as biodiversity and food security – in quite beautiful and emotive ways, so you get a better understanding of why you should support that mission. And we want to extend our reach, so we feel as welcoming and open as possible, finding a diverse selection of creatives across the year that makes people think, ‘Oh, there’s something at Kew for me.’

“Henry Moore took about three years from ideation to delivery,” he continues, “so we’ve been working with the Henry Moore Foundation for quite a long time to get this programmed.”

Works by Henry Moore reproduced by permission of The Henry MooreWhile 90 smaller Moore artworks are on display indoors at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical art, the 30 larger, headline-grabbing sculptures are on display throughout the gardens in the biggest ever outdoor exhibition of the artist’s work.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, putting on a display across a huge, open-air UNESCO World Heritage site throws up rather different logistical issues to a more traditional exhibition space.

“We have a living collection of rare and threatened plants, so working alongside that collection with our horticulture team is complex and interesting,” explains Paul. “In the case of Moore, everywhere you want to put a large sculpture there’s a tree somewhere, or roots that you have to accommodate. The protection of our living collection is foremost in our minds, so we’re working in this kind of Tetris puzzle with the horticulture team about where things can go. And we don’t just want to stick to the honeypot areas of the site. We want to have people visiting some of the unexplored areas of the gardens, so it feels like you’re uncovering the works.”

With the gardens open 364 days of the year, the two-month installation had to work around visitor hours, with large trucks navigating “tiny roads and paths that probably weren’t built for what we’re trying to make happen” in order to transport sculptures weighing several tonnes. Each destination was carefully considered to ensure the artwork fit the environment.

“We have a real mix of visitors, so it’s probably not just your traditional art gallery attendees,” says Paul. “We have day trippers, we have families, we have people that are interested in our living collections as well as the art, and I guess it’s about finding that melting pot where things can come together. You may have seen Henry Moore’s work in city squares or other public parks, but it changes when you see 30 works together, and how his practice shifted over 60-70 years. We’ve planned different trails around the gardens – for our younger visitors we’ve got an amazing trail of 10 works, which explore their shape, form and materiality.”

Works by Henry Moore reproduced by permission of The Henry MooreBefore moving to Kew in 2019, Paul worked at several contemporary art galleries, including a long stint as a curator and Creative Producer at London’s Southbank Centre. During his time at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew he has embraced a wide range of exhibitions and events, from DJ sets at “After Hours” sessions to an interactive video installation showing how Kew’s Lucombe oak changes across the seasons.

“We’ve had some amazing things at Kew that have really pushed the boundaries in terms of the surprise and wonder of what Kew should be doing. I’ve been here for seven years now, and I think it’s a really special place. We are able to invite artists in, to collaborate with our scientific and horticultural expertise, and we’ve got our gardens – it’s quite an unusual space where those things can come together and build something new.”

Boundless offer: Boundless members can enjoy unlimited access to Kew Gardens and Kew Wakehurst all year round, with 50% off one additional adult per visit, as well as admission for up to five children per visit. You can also save 10% off purchases at all Kew shops.