Where: Painshill Park
In the 18th century politician Charles Hamilton decided to design a park inspired by paintings of European landscapes and his travels through the continent. He was involved in the gardening himself at Painshill, located near the village of Cobham, Surrey, and is credited with starting the trend for informal gardens in Britain. With its woods, lake, vineyard and various temples, Painshill has been described as a "living painting". A walk around the entire park takes around three hours, but there are other, shorter walking routes.
There is a fee to visit, which goes to the registered charity Painshill Park Trust to preserve the historical garden.
