Painshill Park and Gardens, Cobham

Painshill Park is one of the greatest garden restorations in England which has taken place over the last 50 years (on a par with the Lost Gardens of Heligan). Created between 1738 and 1773 this amazing landscape had become desolated but thanks to a group of dedicated enthusiasts the Painshill Park Trust was formed in 1981 and since then the 158 acre garden has been restored to its former beauty. Situated only 15 miles from the centre of London it is a must visit.

The Sepentine Lake covers 15 acres and its curved features ensure that the beginning and end of the lake are never seen at once.

The Ruined Abbey overlooking the lake is a folly overlooking the Serpentine lake, and creates a dramatic reflection of the ruins.

The Gothic Temple is a 10 sided building and one of the first buildings to be built with views over the landscape. It was in a perilous condition and restored in 1985 replicating the original building techniques.

The Five Arch Bridge and is a key focal point in the vista especially from the Gothic Temple and the Turkish Tent. This had totally disappeared but the footings were found and the bridge rebuilt in 2011.

The Turkish Tent was built in 1760 and has been rebuilt to recreate the views to the lake. They were probably based on tents from the Ottoman armies and were adopted at the time to add a touch of exotic to landscapes.

Temple of Bacchus built in 1762 but had collapsed and was overgrown. It had been one of the most important buildings in the landscape, but with much research the rebuilding started in 2017 and is once again a key feature. 

The Gothic Tower. This was built in the 1750's and at the highest point in the landscape is 27 metres tall. Visitors in the 18th century would have been able to see St Paul's Cathedral and Windsor Castle. The tower was fully restored in 1989 after a fire. 

The Grotto – work began on this remarkable in the 1760s probably based on the renaissance gardens and the natural rock grottoes along the Italian Coast. The Grotto had collapsed and restorations took place in 1992 and 2011. 

Trees – The landscape is full of amazing trees planted and includes at 118 feet high possibly the largest multi stemmed Cedar of Lebanon trees in Europe. 

This amazing Water Wheel originally supplied water for the Serpentine lake during the 18th century from the adjoining River Mole. This was restored in 1987 and is a masterpiece of early engineering. 



Great Cafe, Good accessible paths around main features and lakes, dog friendly on leads.

When is the best time to visit Painshill? 
Painshill is beautiful all the year but Autumn is really special!

Visit more beautiful Gardens in Surrey