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Join us for some summer fun at Painshill 🌳

It is also the start of our summer events programme! Throughout July join us for Live Music Lates, or an enjoyable evening with our outdoor theatre in Painshill’s Walled Garden.

1. Live Music Lates

Set within the most beautiful landscape, Live Music Lates at Painshill make for a fun and memorable evening out for the whole family, with children and dogs welcome to party too!

2. Outdoor Theatre at Painshill

Join us in the beautiful Walled Garden at Painshill for Outdoor Theatre this summer

We have a super line up with some fantastic shows…

Comedy of Errors – 13 July

Julius Caesar – 17 July

Romeo & Juliet – 21 July

The Gondoliers by Gilbert & Sullivan – 28 July

A Midsummer Night’s Dream & Twelfth Night Double Bill – 2 August

The Hound of the Baskervilles – 15 August

Find out more and book at https://www.painshill.co.uk/events-at-painshill/

Proudly sponsored by Audley Retirement Villages

3. The Best Summer Camps

Get ready for a summer of fun with our WILD Camp, specially designed for children aged 8 – 11 years old

Our experienced forest school and bush-craft trained staff have lots of exciting adventures planned for action-packed days in nature, away from screens

Find out more and book, https://www.painshill.co.uk/events/wild-summer-camp/

4. New Memory Leaves at Painshill

Our Memory Leaves have found a home on Painshill’s newest art installation, a bespoke forged steel structure around the oak pergola. The metal appears to be rising from the ground and climbing the surround, representing our vineyard’s annual growth.

Each leaf hangs from the artwork, symbolising a loved one, a certain moment in time, or a memory. Forged from steel, each leaf stands firm against the weather, basking in the sun.

Memory leaves include

• An individual vine leaf-engraved with wording of choice (up to 150 characters) 
• The leaf will be hung on the bespoke steel forged vine, in the beautiful Kitchen Garden. (dependent on preference). 
• Access to the Kitchen Garden all year round, sitting at the entrance to Painshill. 
• Care and maintenance of leaf throughout, spend time at Painshill.
• Tickets for 2 people to visit & view the leaf when in place.

Memory leaves are available for 5 years –

Please e-mail fundraising@painshill.co.uk for more information.

5. Mr Hamilton’s Tea Room

Enjoy July at Painshill 🌳

June has arrived bringing the green, enriching colours that cover the landscape. From the long grass of the meadows to the trees in leaf, the gardens feel full and busting with life as is the beautiful growing wild life.

It is also the start of our summer events programme! During June and July join us for Live Music Lates, or outdoor theatre in our Walled Garden.

Welcome to summer at Painshill 🌳

1. Live Music Lates

Thinking ahead to those warm summertime evenings; a glass of chilled bubbly in hand, listening to some incredible live music with your friends?

We have just the thing for you! Painshill’s popular Live Music Lates return for summer 2024 showcasing some of the best tribute bands around featuring:

2. Bugs and Butterflies Trail

This family-friendly trail runs throughout the May half term and until to 23 June.

Become a nature explorer to find all the bugs and butterflies hidden around the Painshill landscape.

3.The landscapes new summer arrivals

It is such a great time of the year!

We love to see all of the new arrivals in the landscape

With Goslings, Coots and some beautifully built nests, its a very exciting time on the landscape.

4. Vegetables grown in the landscape

Did you know that vegetables grown in Painshill’s Kitchen Garden can be picked up in the Gift Shop for a small donation?

Different produce is available dependent on season. All produce is organic and no chemicals are used.

5. The Theatre has begun 🎭

This summer, outdoor theatre returns to Painshill’s beautiful Walled Garden

Join us for a balmy summer’s evening of pure joy and merriment with a varied selection of live theatre action to choose from!

Hope to see you for this summer 🌳

1. Enjoy the season 🌳

No spring would be complete without bright blooms popping up all around the landscape.

The beautiful Bluebells

The Bluebell is one of the most iconic flowers to see in April. With stunning colours through an array of violets and purples, they are a sign of warmer days ahead.

Bringing colour throughout Painshill, you can experience the landscape with soft violet hues.

Come and enjoy a little sparkle of spring. (Don’t forget to also check out our fabulous plants to buy from our gift shop!)

2. Members early morning openings return this April

Every Tuesday, from 16th April until 27th August 2024, Painshill will open from 8am for members. Celebrate bright and fresh mornings and enjoy extended opening hours at Painshill.

Perfect for tranquil strolls, our early openings are available for Painshill Members only. Access the landscape before the general public and enjoy the garden whilst it is quiet.

Mr Hamilton’s Tea Room will be open for tea, coffee and breakfast.

Please note: the Crystal Grotto will not be open early.

3. The Chinese Bridge – A crucial restoration appeal

Painshill Park Trust urgently needs to rebuild the Chinese Bridge. The Bridge was restored in the 1980s and, after 40 years of use, the wood is unstable and needs replacing.

We are fundraising £250,000 to urgently re-build the Chinese Bridge back to its original form so that it can be used and enjoyed by all our visitors.

Please help us to rebuild this very important bridge- https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/chinesebridge

4. Enjoy our Big Easter Egg Statue Trail 🥚

Ready for an Egg hunt? Come along and enjoy meeting some egg-cellent statue characters! On arrival there will be a trail map to guide you and help find all the all the different characters.

5. Well being and fitness – Get fit with Kate at Painshill Park

Introducing Kate’s “Trek Fit” – a unique training experience with Kate (walking with a weighted rucksack) in the beautiful Painshill landscape. This is a perfect chance to increase strength and fitness whilst making new friends.

This excellent opportunity allows you to challenge yourself and push your boundaries whilst enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

Kate’s 45-minute to 1-hour sessions are perfect for all fitness levels and abilities. The first session begins on 16 April, and the cost is just £15 per session, or only £10 for Painshill members.

Tues 16th – 8.15 – 9am, 9.15-10am, 10.15-11.00am

To book: https://www.participant.co.uk/asg/event/kate_staples_fitness_camps_-_summer_2024_20072024#init

Hope to see you for this April ⭐🐣🌳

Fun and colourful characters are returning to Painshill this Easter holiday. Large statues of painted eggs will not only include a Cow, a Hen, a Pirate and a Unicorn but also a couple of monsters, a ladybird, a hamburger! and many more…

We have one egg however that is blank and we need your ideas!

Draw your egg character design, or download our handy template below, and email it to marketing@painshill.co.uk to enter our competition. We will take the winning design and have it painted onto a 6ft egg to feature in our trail.

The winner will receive free tickets to Painshill to come and see their egg character in the landscape.

The competition is open to all ages and it closes on Sunday 3 March.

This is also a wonderful time to enjoy the start of Spring in a beautiful landscape filled with colour and new wildlife, 🐣

Enjoy Painshill in bloom with stunning spring bulbs.

Live music will rock through the grounds at Painshill again for summer 2024, showcasing some of the best tribute bands around.

Tickets went on sale on 5th December for members and early birds and immediately tickets started to sell! General tickets are now on sale from 7th December but it is recommended to book quickly! ABBA Revival sold out for early bird tickets within 48 hours of being on sale.

Just to name a few of the incredible bands…

Rick Parfitt Jr– Wednesday 19 June

Returning from the success of summer 2023, Rick Parfitt Jr is incredibly excited to put on a rock and roll show for Painshill in 2024. Rick Parfitt Jr is son of legendary Status Quo rhythm guitarist, Rick Parfitt and is just one of the names featuring at Painshill’s Live Music Lates through June and July.

ABBA REVIVAL- Thursday 27 June

GIMME! GIMME! GIMME! An all time favourite tribute band, ABBA REVIVAL. Having been on sale for only 48 hours, early bird tickets SOLD OUT. General tickets are still available but it seems this singing and dancing triumph will be a night to thank you for the music!

More of the leading tribute bands

Painshill’s Live Music Lates will run from 5.30pm – 9pm, giving visitors the chance to walk through the stunning historic landscape and watch the sun lowering over the lake before taking a seat in the tree-lined amphitheatre for 7pm.

A throwback to summer LATES at Painshill

Each night food vendors will be available and alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks will be on offer from the bar.

Join Painshill for summer nights of music, food and dancing.

Painshill were thrilled to welcome a popular Strictly Come Dancing duo this spooky season!

The Strictly Come Dancing couple, Katya Jones and Nigel Harman, arrived to do some filming for the Halloween Special which was aired on Saturday 28th October.

Millions of fans, who tuned into Strictly Come Dancing, would have seen Painshill on prime time Saturday night TV as our 18th-century landscape featured on BBC1’s popular dancing show.

We were delighted to welcome uber-talented dancer, Katya Jones, along with her dance partner and successful actor, Nigel Harman. The pair enjoyed practicing a few dance moves whilst at the Ruined Abbey in preparation for their Halloween inspired dance. The Ruined Abbey provided the perfect backdrop for the spooky Cha Cha Cha dance they performed.

The show aired on BBC and Painshill is featured in week 6, series 21.

Paul Griffiths, Director of Painshill, said: “Painshill is a popular filming location and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to meet such a wide-variety of professionals from the entertainment industry. It was just wonderful to welcome the Strictly Come Dancing team to Painshill, particularly Katya and Nigel. I hope they do really well in the show, everyone at Painshill will be rooting for them.”

The Ruined Abbey sits by the water’s edge and casts stunning reflections into the serpentine lake. In the 18^th century, monasteries and abbeys would often produce wine so the architecture fits perfectly with the vineyard planted next to it. It was originally built in 1772 and was designed to be a ruin, to add an air of history and remind the visitor of the past. 

Find out more about filming at Painshill

Should you fancy swapping your dancing shoes and putting on your walking boots, Painshill has many more stunning locations to view whilst walking through the vast landscape. As well as the Ruined Abbey, you cannot miss the Gothic Temple with stunning views, the Temple of Bacchus, the Hermitage surrounded by woodland and an extraordinary Crystal Grotto. Next to the Serpentine Lake there is a boathouse as well as an industrial waterwheel and pumphouse. Painshill is also home to a 2 acre vineyard which has been used previously to represent the south of France.

Why not shimmy on over and enjoy dancing through the grounds!

That’s a wrap!

Listen! the wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves, we have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!
– Humbert Wolfe

Garden visiting at this time of year is especially relaxing. The sun is still out however the air is fresher and cooler.

Autumn has arrived! There is no season as vibrant as fall. The sky, the leaves, and the landscape together create a symphony of stunning colours throughout Painshill.

Least not forget, in the 18th century Charles Hamilton, the designer of Painshill, would buy trees and shrubs from John Bartram in America. They would arrive in seed boxes that travelled across the Atlantic by ship. Painshill has been left with a legacy of deciduous plants that were awarded plant heritage status in 2006. They give a wonderful display of autumn colour.

So, enjoy a beautiful walk through the Park and the Historical features there is to see.

Here’s 5 things to enjoy at Painshill in September.

1. Autumn colour, a rich and warm season

On a tranquil autumn day, The Temple of Bacchus is an enriching place to visit.

From its grand position at the top of the hill you will spot the Temple a few times before you reach it. When you do, you will be presented with a view across the Surrey Hills and lovely spot to sit and enjoy the autumn air.

2. Fairy Doors

This autumn the Painshill team have created a fun family Fairy Door trail adding a touch of magic to spark every child’s imagination. Pick up a fairy trail map and take a wander around the grounds to see if you can spot some of the fairies homes.

The fairy door trail will be running from Saturday 21^st October until Sunday 12^th November and is included in general admission tickets. It is recommended to book in advance at painshill.co.uk.

3. The Snack Shack!

OPENING this autumn (following the success of scrummy summer ice creams, sourced by a local supplier) the ‘Snack Shack’ is being launched as an unmissable tasty new food and drinks offering!

Situated outside The Tea Room, you cannot miss this food gem!

Serving deliciously warm waffles with ice cream and choices of marshmallows and sauces, tasty doughnuts, a choice of 9 glorious ice creams/sorbets and very scrummy vegan options, this is a mouth-watering option you will not be able to resist.

Opening from 10am until 3:30pm on weekends and all school holidays including this warm autumn season!

4. Perfect gifts from The Gift Shop

Enjoy a quality sparkling white or a unique and bespoke gin with flavours from juniper berries and other wonderful botanical ingredients.

Available to purchase from our gift shop, these fine beverages are an exquisite present for birthdays, special occasions and for the festive season coming up!

Traditional Sparkling White Wine

Painshill Kitchen Garden Gin

CHEERS!

5. Wild Halloween Camp

Have a wild time this October Half Term on our Wild Halloween Camp with den building, campfires, and lots more spooky adventures in Painshill’s wild woods!

School is out for summer! It is time to fill the warm days with lots of family fun and things to entertain the children.

Parents can let both their children’s and their imaginations run wild at Painshill, where there is a surprise around every corner.

Created in the 18th century by Charles Hamilton as a living painting, the landscape garden invites you to walk around a work of art and discover dramatic follies, calming waters and stunning views.

Young princes and princesses can climb the 99 stairs of the Gothic Tower and look out over their kingdom from the top, while explorers will love the mysterious Ruined Abbey and the twinkling crystal stalactites of an incredible sparkling Crystal Grotto.

During the summer adults and children alike can enjoy the Painshill Art Trail. Walk the route and discover all the ways in which Painshill has inspired artists, painters and photographers. Maybe you will get creative yourself!

There are 160 acres of gardens ripe for exploring. Children can play hide and seek in the ancient woodland and wildflower meadows, get close to nature with fun wildlife spotting trails, and enjoy a natural play area with dens, balance logs and stepping stones.

The 2.5 mile route is easy for older children, while a shorter, accessible 1.5 circuit makes the park perfect for pushchairs. Bring a picnic to enjoy by the lake, or visit one of our catering outlets to complete your day.

Mr Hamilton’s Tea Room serves pastries, light lunches or cream tea. Indoor and covered outdoor seating available.

In school holidays there will sometimes also be pop-up cafes available for example the Horsebox Café or the Gothic Temple Café. They serve filter coffee, tea, soft drinks and a small selection of snacks.

There will also be an ice-cream hut open serving a range of delicious flavours.

Dogs are welcome at Painshill if they are kept on short leads.

Families, walkers and budding conservationists visiting Painshill, in Cobham, joined local conservation groups this weekend to help find and document the plants and wildlife that live on the site.

Dubbed the ‘Space4Nature Earth Search’, the mass recording event – known as a bio blitz – was part of the new Space4Nature programme, awarded by Postcode Dream Fund thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. The programme aims to protect more of Surrey’s Wildlife by mapping and connecting habitats using satellite imagery, Artificial Intelligence and citizen science.

During the one-day event on Sunday June 25, local specialist conservation groups, Surrey Wildlife Trust and Painshill Park Trust volunteers and members of the public who visit Painshill were invited to help investigate and record the varied plant and animal life within the park. Around 300 species were recorded on the day, including Nuthatches, Goldcrests, Sparrowhawks, Smooth Newts, Downy Emerald and Back-tailed Skimmer Dragonflies, Red-belted Clearwing Moths, Silver-washed Fritillary Butterflies and a rare plant called Smooth Cat’s Ear. The event contributed to the collection of vital data for the Space4Nature project and helped inform the evolution of its Artificial Intelligence systems. This technology will then be used across Surrey to enable the team to pinpoint which areas of land should be joined up to other habitats of similar type, making it easier for wildlife to move to access food, safe havens from predators and opportunities to breed. 

Paul Griffiths, Director of the Painshill Park Trust said:

“Painshill takes conservation seriously, and we are on a mission to help local people learn more about the amazing biodiversity that shares our site. It was hugely encouraging that so many people chose to join us on Sunday. 

“Space4Nature will take those principles further, and will help restore wildlife across the county – and we look forward to working with local communities to deliver a better future for wildlife and people.”

Space4Nature received £1.25 million thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery and has also since been awarded £200,000 by the Garfield Weston Foundation. It is delivered by Surrey Wildlife Trust, the University of Surrey, Buglife and the Painshill Park Trust.

Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery said:

“The Dream Fund Space4Nature project combines nature and leading technology to create and support healthier wildlife and biodiversity throughout Surrey. It’s fantastic that our players are supporting the monitoring of wildlife habitats, helping to secure the survival of native species for future generations. The Painshill Park BioBlitz event was a fun and interactive way for people to get involved with the nature, wildlife and biodiversity on their doorstep.”

Throughout the next two years, schoolchildren who visit as part of Painshill’s ongoing programme of curriculum-based outdoor learning activities will learn how to record species and investigate nature as they examine the park’s plants and animals and their habitats as part of the Space4Nature project.

The June event is not your only chance to get involved with this exciting and important project. The Space4Nature team will be asking hundreds of local volunteers to help survey and assess habitats across Surrey, including on Chobham Common, Quarry Hangers and Puttenham Common. To register your interest, please visit: www.surreywildlifetrust.org

Photography by Jon Hawkins

At the entrance to Painshill, close to the Visitor Centre, is a feature that is often overlooked. Two large walled gardens were part of the original 18th century estate and vital to Charles Hamilton’s operations. They were built in 1756 to grow fruit and vegetables for his estate and its workers.

Today the Kitchen Garden is once again thriving due to the charity’s gardening team and our landscape volunteers. It produces a huge variety of fruit and vegetables. Each week from spring to autumn they harvest whatever is in season and the produce is available in the Gift Shop. In exchange for a small donation you can take some home with you.

This year our landscape team are trialing the ‘no dig’ method.

‘No dig’ involves layering compost and mulch, rather than digging over the bed, to ensure the capture of carbon, fungi and worms in the soil. The no-dig gardener allows the fungi and soil organisms to break down and incorporate the organic matter into the soil, emulating natural processes. The method should control weeds, feed the soil and hopefully leads to healthier, stronger plants.

Lesley Shepherd, one of our landscape team, can tell you more…