Surrey

<p>A really lovely place to visit. The Grotto is amazing.</p>



<p>We’ve said it before, but <a href="http://www.painshill.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Painshill</a> Painshill really is one of those places that stops you mid-walk. Set just outside Cobham, it’s an 18th-century landscape garden designed for wandering, exploring and discovering something new around every corner. It’s a genuinely brilliant family day out, whether you’re here for a gentle stroll, a proper roam or a bit of both &#8211; and the best bit? Dogs are very welcome too.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-where">WHAT? WHERE?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-35.jpeg" alt="Painshill, 18th century landscape gardens, in Cobham, Surrey." class="wp-image-65283" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-35.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-35-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-35-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-35-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-35-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Painshill is one of the most beautiful and brilliantly designed landscape gardens in England. It might look effortlessly natural, but don’t be fooled &#8211; this is 18th-century showmanship at its finest, carefully choreographed to guide you through a sequence of ever-changing views.</p>



<p>And the best bit? It’s right on our doorstep in Surrey, just off the A3 near Cobham.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe">THE VIBE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-72.jpeg" alt="Painshill, 18th century landscape gardens, in Cobham, Surrey." class="wp-image-65288" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-72.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-72-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-72-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-72-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-72-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Set across 158 acres, the gardens were created in the 1700s by Charles Hamilton, inspired by his European travels and a love of romantic landscapes. The result is part eccentric fantasy, part outdoor theatre &#8211; all centred around a sweeping serpentine lake.</p>



<p>It’s designed like a living painting, where every turn reveals something new: follies, temples, bridges and the famous Crystal Grotto. While the Painshill ends at the river, Hamilton was a master at borrowing the surrounding landscape, making his own garden feel far bigger than its boundaries. </p>



<p>There are two main routes &#8211; the Historic Route (around 2.5 miles) and a shorter 1.5-mile option. Most paths are paved too, so it’s an easy wander for all.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/05/Painshill-AE-May-2026-29.jpeg" alt="Painshill, 18th century landscape garden in Cobham, Surrey." class="wp-image-65275" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/05/Painshill-AE-May-2026-29.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/05/Painshill-AE-May-2026-29-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/05/Painshill-AE-May-2026-29-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/05/Painshill-AE-May-2026-29-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/05/Painshill-AE-May-2026-29-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Along the way you’ll pass a ruined abbey and a Gothic Temple &#8211; a ten-sided folly designed to frame the vistas and offer a taste of what’s to come, including the lake, the Grotto, the Turkish Tent and the Five Arch Bridge. The Grotto itself is spectacular, set on Grotto Island in the centre of the Serpentine lake, reached via a pretty bridge.</p>



<p>Paths take you past a vineyard originally planted in the 1740s, later replaced with a rockery, and then replanted in the early 1990s &#8211; with wine production returning by the late 1990s. There is also plenty of birdlife along the way, including ducks and swans.</p>



<p>At the far end of the route, things get a little wilder with the Turkish Tent, Temple of Bacchus and Hermitage, plus woodland paths and gentle hills that feel a touch more adventurous.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-76.jpeg" alt="Painshill, 18th century landscape gardens, in Cobham, Surrey." class="wp-image-65289" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-76.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-76-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-76-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-76-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-76-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Dogs are welcome on leads, and under-fives can bring scooters or bikes &#8211; perfect for little legs.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-on-screen">ON SCREEN</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-81.jpeg" alt="Painshill, 18th century landscape gardens, in Cobham, Surrey." class="wp-image-65291" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-81.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-81-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-81-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-81-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-81-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>If it feels familiar, that’s because it probably is. Painshill has starred in everything from <em>Bridgerton</em> to <em>Black Mirror</em>, plus <em>Vanity Fair</em>, <em>Suffragette</em> and <em>Good Omens</em> &#8211; basically, it’s very good at a costume drama cameo.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scoff-amp-quaff">SCOFF &amp; QUAFF</h2>



<p>Mr Hamilton’s Tea Room is near the entrance, with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the gardens. In summer, the glass doors open wide so you can soak up the views.</p>



<p>Expect all-day breakfasts, sandwiches, paninis, jacket potatoes, salads and plenty of cake. Picnics are also very much encouraged, with loads of gorgeous spots to stop along the way.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-else">WHAT ELSE?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-44.jpeg" alt="Painshill, 18th century landscape gardens, in Cobham, Surrey." class="wp-image-65286" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-44.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-44-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-44-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-44-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-44-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>The walled kitchen garden is a lovely surprise &#8211; packed with seasonal planting from asparagus to courgettes. Dogs, though, aren’t allowed in this area.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weddings-parties-anything">WEDDINGS, PARTIES… ANYTHING?</h2>



<p>If you fancy getting married at Painshill, you’re in luck. Ceremonies can be held in the Gothic Temple or the Grotto, with marquee options on the lawn between the Amphitheatre and Gothic Temple, or in the Walled Garden. Not a bad backdrop for a “I do”.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-damage">THE DAMAGE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-89.jpeg" alt="Painshill, 18th century landscape gardens, in Cobham, Surrey." class="wp-image-65290" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-89.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-89-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-89-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-89-400x267.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/07/Painshill-AE-May-2026-89-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Entry is £15 for adults, £7.50 for children (under 5s go free), with discounts online. Open year-round with seasonal hours.</p>



<p><em><strong><a href="http://www.painshill.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Painshill</a>, Portsmouth Rd, Cobham KT11 1JE. Tel:&nbsp;<a class="fl r-izsc5v8axUr8" title="Call via Hangouts">01932 868113.</a>&nbsp;</strong></em></p>



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Review: Painshill landscape garden, Cobham

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