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Painshill Park is an 18th century landscape garden created between 1738 and 1773 by the Hon. Charles Hamilton. Inspired by his visits to Italy, contemporary art, and the Renaissance, it was Hamilton’s vision to create a series of ‘living paintings’ in a form of an expansive garden. Today. the serene garden features a vineyard, a lake, and various follies, shrubberies and hills that offer stunning views over the Surrey countryside. Painshill is seen as one of the best examples of an English landscape garden which are known for their more natural style compared to more formal and architectural gardens such as Hampton Court or Versailles. After many years of financial hardship, Hamilton was forced to sell Painshill in 1773. It was abandoned and fell into disrepair after World War II. In 1981, Painshill Park Trust was formed to restore the park to its original vision and glory.
The Gothic temple was one of the first parts of the park to be restored. The small building offers a spectacular panorama over the surrounding landscape and was said to be the favourite view of King George III when he visited Painshill. From the top of the Gothic Tower, which stands at 27 meters tall at the park’s highest point, it's possible to see four different counties.
Tucked away in the western side of the gardens is the Hermitage, a small rustic cottage built for an 18th century hermit. At the time, landowners would hire hermits to live on the grounds in their gardens. In exchange for the lodging, the hermits would have to remain on the grounds and spend their time in silent prayer, praying for the wellbeing of the landowner’s family. Legend has it that the hermit hired by Hamilton was fired three weeks into his employment, having been spotted enjoying a drink at the local pub. In the 1940s, the Hermitage stood derelict and was eventually chopped up for firewood. In 2004, it was restored using timber from the park’s grounds.
One of the park’s main attractions is the Crystal Grotto: a naturalistic, man-made cave with stalactites dripping in sparkling crystals. Another is a vineyard that grows modern varieties of grapes like Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, as well as a variety of Pinot Noir that was grown there by Hamilton in the 18th century. The vineyard overlooks the 14-acre Serpentine Lake, which was created by a waterwheel that draws the water from the river Mole. It is one of the largest working wheels of this type in the UK and was built in 1830’s.
Painshill is a truly fantastic place to visit, with each season offering something new and magical. Our favourite visit was in the spring, when snowdrops and daffodils nestle under the trees and the meadows are filled with bluebells. It will take you a few hours to visit the park, as there is just so much to see! It’s a great place to bring dogs, although they will need to be kept on a leash to protect both the grounds themselves and the water fowl by the lake. If possible, we'd highly recommend a morning visit during the week — in some places, it'll feel like you have the whole park to yourself.
