What made the old china clay pit at Bodelva a ‘real beauty’ was it was south facing, sheltered, had a spectacular crater big enough for 35 football pitches and you could just about see the sea.

From a hastily scribbled sketch on the back of a cigarette packet, to what is being hailed as the 'eighth wonder of the world' - the Eden Project's journey from conception to reality has been a thrilling one. The picture shows the biomes in their construction phase. The Eden story is told by Tim Smit, the founder of the project in the voiceover, we apologise for the poor quality.

Nothing can prepare the visitor for the sheer enormity of the flagship tropical biome at the Eden Project site, a vast conservatory that hugs the south-facing wall of the pit.Tall enough to house the Tower of London, it is a fantastic feat of engineering, a rain forest cathedral that is tardis-like in construction - big on the outside, yet apparently even bigger within.

Visitors to the Warm Temperate biome will be greeted by a shock of vibrant colours in a display that focuses on three different areas of the world that share the same climate: Southern Africa, the Mediterranean and California. Alongside the magical array of hundreds of colourful plants, the biome will also feature olive groves and grapevines.

Covering an area of 12 hectares, the Roofless Biome display reflects the beautiful plants from our own temperate climate. Native Cornish flora has its special place alongside plants from Chile, the Himalayas and Australasia. There will also be the opportunity to sample different tea from around the world in this phase of the Eden Project's journey.