At the beginning of 1999 work was started on the £74.3m Eden Project. The Eden Project which is a sixty metre deep, fifteen hectare (34 acre) china clay pit overlooking St Austell Bay in Cornwall, is being transformed to house two plant conservatories, with external grounds of 12 hectares. One of the conservatories will reach some 50 metres, taller then Nelson's Column. The other conservatory will recreate a Warm Temperate climate and house plants from many regions such as South Africa, South Western USA and the Mediterranean. With trees, vines and hundreds of colourful flowers. At the entrance to the pit, is the visitors centre, and sitting within there will be restaurants and shops celebrating the many varied foods and plants from around the world. GATEWAY TO EDEN Croft Farm is just two miles from the famous Eden Project, soon to become a magnificent living theatre of plants from around the world, designed to inspire and inform visitors and to provide an international forum for environmental research and debate. The plants will range from giant mahogany trees to tiny orchids. They will be housed under two giant conservatories called biomes, which are self-supporting structures of hexagons, the largest of which is 45 metres high and big enough to house the Tower of London! The public can view the growing project at the 'Gateway to Eden' visitors centre this year. The central viewing gallery will give spectacular views of the biomes and an exhibition will tell the story of the making of the project so far. You can visit the lake and enjoy the attractions for everyone - from live music and performances to art, horticulture, cookery and painting. The centre will be open throughout the summer until November, when it will close for final preparations in readiness for the full opening of the completed project at Easter 2001. Visit the Eden Project website for full information