Getting out of London in favour of exploring rural landscapes is a great way to rejuvenate the mind and body.
My friend Ruchi had been working long hours and was starting to feel burned out. To remedy the matter, she took a week off work and asked if I wanted to go on a day-trip somewhere.
We started throwing some ideas around – Bath, Stonehenge, and Dover popped up as contenders. We were almost set on going to Bath, but then my brother suggested a place called Painshill Park. He mentioned something about a crystal grotto, which, as you can imagine, immediately piqued our curiosity.
Neither of us had heard of the place before, but the more we looked at photos the more we wanted to visit. It was also considerably quicker and cheaper to get there.
Located in a little village called Cobham, only a 40-minute train ride away from London, it seemed like the perfect little day-trip. We didn’t want to spend a whole lot of time on the train which Bath or Dover would entail. We had our minds made up, Painshill Park it was going to be.
Further reading → 14 London Day Trips That You Will Love
Getting to Painshill Park from London
It is incredibly easy to get there from London.
Ruchi and I met in the morning at Waterloo Station, purchased a £10 return ticket to Cobham and hopped on a 40-min direct train. Easy peasy. You can book your train tickets here → www.thetrainline.com.
Once we arrived in Cobham, we walked to the park and this took us approximately thirty-five minutes. Alternatively, you can take a quick cab journey from outside the station, but since it was a lovely day we opted for the stroll and this allowed us to enjoy a nice impression of Cobham village.
Inside Painshill Park
This gorgeous landscape garden dates all the way back to 1738. It was designed and created by Charles Hamilton, a British politician. The story goes that after touring around Europe he was inspired to fill his own plot of land with quirky features.
The result is a classic design on the surface. However, not all is what it appears to be. Renaissance architecture sits side by side with eccentric follies, little nooks and crannies, and you’ll find a spectacular grotto filled with quartz, calcite, and fluorite crystals in the shape of stalagmites!
Unfortunately, Hamilton ended up running out of money shortly after and sold off the estate. Thereafter it passed a few different hands. During one period of time, the literary and social critic, Matthew Arnold, rented one of the buildings and lived there until his death in 1888.
After WWII it fell into disarray. But in 1980 it was purchased by the borough Council and a charity was setup for its renovation. As you can see, they managed to return it to its former grandeur. It’s now one of the finest 18th Century Landscape Parks in the country.
It’s a really stunning park filled with beautifully landscaped gardens with a sprinkling of slightly weird, but wonderful architectural pieces.
Don’t miss
Make sure you see the gothic tower, turkish tent, temple of Bacchus and of course, the crystal grotto. The grotto is my favourite part, so full of magic and wonder.
From the outside it has an organic, tumorous appearance which we decided looked like a cave made of bones reminiscent of Capuchin Crypt in Rome. On the inside it comes to life with quirky stalagmite shapes encrusted with crystals. It’s not very big, but big doesn’t always mean better!
Perfect setting for a picnic
We were lucky to have the park mostly to ourselves in mid-October which made Painshill feel even more like the retreat from London we hoped to find.
In the spirit of rambling, we also packed a little picnic mainly consisting of stuff we picked up from M&S at Waterloo Station. Much to my appreciation, Ruchi also packed a little lunch box filled with a delicious chickpea curry which she’d prepared the night before from scratch.
There’s also a nice cafe if you’d prefer to eat without the hassle of preparing something yourself.
So whether you’re looking for a lovely family day out, somewhere different to walk the dogs (yes, they’re allowed!), or pining for much needed retreat away from London with a friend or two in tow, Painshill Park is a great idea.
Further information
Location: Portsmouth Road, Cobham, KT11 1JE.
How to get there from London: Cobham & Stoke D’Abernon station (40 minutes from Waterloo) is two miles away, from there get a taxi or Chatterbus.
Opening hours: Seven days a week, 10am – 6pm, with last entry at 4.30pm. The Crystal Grotto is open weekends only, 11am – 3pm.
Entry: £11 for adults, £6.60 for children, under-5s go free.
More information: See their website.
Looking for more day-trips from London? Read my other posts below:
- London to Margate: A Delightful Day at the Seaside
- A Day Trip to Cambridge from London by Train
- Best Things to Do in St Albans – Sightseeing Guide
One Response
Painshill park reminds me of a music-video by the group called “Double” the song is called “The Captain of Her Heart”