Painshill

About Painshill

Painshill was created between 1738 and 1773 by the Hon. Charles Hamilton, who came back from his Grand Tour wanting to make a garden that unfolded like a series of paintings. Visitors follow a route around a lake and through woodland, meeting a sequence of buildings and views designed to shift the mood from scene to scene. Debts forced Hamilton to sell in 1773.

Over the following two centuries the estate passed through many hands, was requisitioned in the Second World War and then split up. The buildings decayed and the plantings were lost. Elmbridge Borough Council bought back 158 acres and the Painshill Park Trust was formed in 1981 to restore Hamilton's design. The garden is Grade I listed, and restoration of individual follies continues.

What to see

• The Crystal Grotto: a glittering chamber by the lake, rebuilt after its ceiling collapsed in the 1950s. Closed on Mondays except bank holidays.
• The Serpentine Lake and its bridges.
• Follies: the Gothic Temple, Ruined Abbey, Temple of Bacchus, Turkish Tent, Hermitage and Gothic Tower.
• Plantings and vineyard: trees and shrubs chosen to match the 18th century scheme, and a vineyard producing wine again.

Planning your visit

Painshill is on Between Streets in Cobham, just off the A3 near junction 10 of the M25 (sat nav KT11 1AG). Parking is free; the nearest station is Cobham and Stoke d'Abernon, two miles away, and buses 715 and 408 stop nearby.

The full circuit is around three miles on uneven paths with slopes, so allow about two hours. An accessible route covers many features, and all-terrain wheelchairs can be borrowed free if booked ahead. Mr Hamilton's Tea Room and a shop are by the Visitor Centre, and picnics are welcome. Painshill is independent, so National Trust and English Heritage cards do not give entry.