The northern, eastern and southwestern sides of the Green are largely residential with some pubs, restaurants, and the Herbarium Library. To the north of the Green is Kew Bridge and the South Circular Road leading from the bridge runs across the Green, dividing it into a large western part and a smaller eastern part.
At the south end is St Anne’s Church and at the west end of the Green is Elizabeth Gate, one of the two main entrances into Kew Gardens.
A large triangular space, Kew Green is mentioned in a Parliamentary Survey of Richmond taken in 1649. Kew Green became notable as a venue for cricket in the 1730s and a parcel of land at the edge of the Green was enclosed by George IV in the 1820s.
Near the northeast corner of Kew Green is Kew Pond, originally thought to have been fed from a creek of the tidal Thames. During high tides, sluice gates are opened to allow river water to fill the pond via an underground channel.