Painshill Park visit

Painshill Park is located just off the A3 at Cobham. The original park, now under extensive restoration, was the vision of the Hon. Charles Hamilton, English gentleman. Between 1738 and 1773. He took a barren heath land setting and transformed it into a sequence of subtle, surprising vistas, inspired by his appreciation of great Renaissance artists. He influenced English landscapes for generations to come.

Eight of us went to Painshill including Diana Carpenter, George Bray, Pat Irving, Keith & Madeline Hatton, Mike & Lyn Baker and Lyn's friend Wendy. We met at 12:30am and immediately got stuck into a picnic. Smoked salmon, Buck's Fizz and Strawberries later, I didn't feel like walking too far. However, Diana had booked us a guide so we had to get moving.

As you stroll from scene to scene, you never know what to expect; from vineyard (everyone's getting into English wine) to evergreen amphitheatre to Gothic Temple; from crystal grotto (worth going just for this) to Turkish Tent (very strange); from Wild Wood to Alpine meadow; from ruined Abbey's to Water Wheels and Folly Towers. I'm not into gardening but you have to stare in awe at some of the tree's in Painshill, some incredibly tall, others very old and all as available to Hamilton, mostly from the America's, in the Eighteenth century.

The afternoon ended in the restaurant, well you've got to feed the inner thingy! If you've got a spare afternoon I would urge you to pop along to Painshill and take a look for yourselves. It's time well spent, and this from someone who couldn't tell a perennial from a weed.

Mike (Thinking of building a folly) Baker