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Forest Bathing, a technique that was developed in Japan in the 1980s, is fast becoming very popular in the West.

Despite the name, the activity doesn’t involve getting into water! This Japanese activity is about practicing meditation while surrounded by trees. It is a form of relaxation using the simple method of being calm and quiet, observing the plants around you and breathing deeply.

Scientific evidence has shown Forest Bathing can contribute to modern day wellbeing by helping people de-stress. So much evidence suggests that it reduces blood pressure and improves concentration that the Japanese government has incorporated it into the country’s health programme. A chemical released by trees and plants, called phytoncides, was found to boost the immune system.

So how can you get started? Here’s 5 tips to help you unlock the health benefits of Forest Bathing.

1. Leave your devices behind

Turning off your smart phone or leaving behind your camera is an important part of connecting with nature. It feels very alien to those of us who have a phone pretty much glued to the end of our arm but that’s exactly the point. It is vital to have a break from technology and putting your device away will give you the best chance to feel the health benefits.

2. Go slow

In our fast-paced modern life Forest Bathing can be your antidote to the stress that brings. Slow down your walking and take long deep breaths. Take a moment to consciously shake off that feeling that you need to be somewhere quickly or do something productive. Forest Bathing is about taking time away from that to just be in the moment.

3. Take time to notice the forest

Forest Bathing is all about being aware of your surroundings. Use all your senses and remind yourself to smell and touch as well as look. One thing often overlooked is the power of glancing up. Take a moment to notice the height and scale of the trees and you might also spot birds, squirrels and other wildlife.

4. Make time for nature

Like everything, Forest Bathing will not benefit your health and happiness if it is something you only do once. If you find you enjoy Forest Bathing, make time for it in your routine and life. Whatever is happening in your life you deserve to have time to look after yourself.

Painshill membership can offer you a beautiful place, full of trees, to visit regularly to watch the seasons change and find tranquility. However Forest Bathing can be done anywhere you feel comfortable, such as a local park or woodland, or even under a tree in your back garden.

5. Join a Painshill session

If you would like to explore Forest Bathing with someone experienced you can join one of our sessions held in the landscape. Nigel, from Connect with the Forest, can help you through the process of what Forest Bathing involves, explain the science behind it and guide you to connect with the practice. If you would like to have a guide to start you off why not join one of our sessions at Painshill?

Painshill Park Trust is delighted to announce that their latest restoration project, replacing the Woollett Bridge, will go ahead in October.

Painshill’s Trustees, staff and volunteers have been have blown away by the generosity and passion of its supporters and is delighted to thank everyone who contributed to this important project.

The fundraising target has now been met thanks to the generosity of individual supporters and a number of grants totalling over £110,000. Painshill Park Trust is hugely grateful to Elmbridge Borough Council for providing £41,429 as part of the Community Infrastructure Levy enabling the project to proceed.

Painshill was created in the 18^th century as a living work of art and is one of the finest examples of the English Landscape Movement. The bridge is a vital part of the garden and allows people access to one of the most impressive features in the historic park: the magical Crystal Grotto. Without the bridge, visitors cannot progress along the route planned by Charles Hamilton as a walk through a series of stunning views. 

In December 2019 and again in February 2020, the Painshill landscape was flooded and the wooden bridge was under water for a number of weeks. The timber began to rot and the bridge’s stability was compromised. For many months the bridge has been supported by scaffolding to ensure it is safe for visitors.

However, this October, Painshill Park Trust is delighted that bridge will be replaced. To ensure longevity, in a climate where flooding is likely to recur, the new bridge will be made of steel. The modern material was not used in the 18^th century but the Trust is positive that the design will offer the correct aesthetic while ensuring people’s donations are invested in a lasting structure.

The design for the new bridge has been based on an engraving by William Woollett created in 1760.

The bridge is being manufactured by Nusteel Structures Limited in Kent. From there it will be transported to Painshill and floated across the lake into position.

To follow the progress of the work join Painshill Park Trust on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

The days may be getting shorter and the temperature has dropped, however nature is about to treat us to a stunning riot of reds, golds and yellows.

In the 18th century Charles Hamilton, the designer of Painshill, would buy trees and shrubs from John Bartram in America. They would arrive in seed boxes that travelled across the Atlantic by ship. Painshill has been left with a legacy of deciduous plants that were awarded plant heritage status in 2006. They give a wonderful display of autumn colour.

Here’s 5 things to enjoy at Painshill in October.

1. Autumn colour

The John Bartram Heritage Collection of American trees and shrubs can be found across Painshill, particularly around the Chinese Bridge which casts a stunning reflection on a still day.

2. Fairy Doors

This autumn the Painshill team have created a fun family Fairy Door trail to spark every child’s imagination. Take a wander and see if you can spot homes of the fairies.

3. Autumn Tree Day

Learn more about the tree collection at Painshill, enjoy live music and watch a wood turning demonstration at our Autumn Tree Day on Sunday 23 October.

4. Mushroom spotting

Across Painshill there is a huge variety of mushrooms in autumn. Head out and see if you can spot fungi of every shape, colour and size.

5. Atmospheric mists

John Keats wrote that autumn was the season of mists and there are many mornings when an atmospheric cloud lays over the lake and around the follies. Head to Painshill at opening time on a misty day to enjoy a different view of the landscape.

Painshill Park Trust is participating in Remember A Charity in Your Will Week (5th – 11th September) – an annual awareness week which aims to encourage people to leave a gift to charity.

Kind-hearted Brits left gifts in Wills to 10,670 different charities last year, the highest number recorded over the past decade, according to research marking the start of Remember A Charity Week.

Gifts in Wills are a critical source of funding for charitable services across the country, raising more than £3 billion for good causes annually.

To mark this week, we spoke to Painshill Trustee Louise Russell of what Painshill means to her and why she choose to leave a gift in her Will.

“Painshill has been an important part of my life. I am passionate about the beauty and history of the landscape, and it really does have a unique, magical quality of its own.  It is wonderful to have Painshill on my doorstep and I never tire of walking there with friends and family and encouraging others to experience its splendour or feel its peace and restorative qualities.

As an independent registered charity, Painshill Park Trust is committed to restoring and maintaining the historic gardens and buildings at Painshill, so it can continue to be enjoyed for by future generations. For the past seven years I have been privileged to be a trustee of Painshill so I know first-hand what a difference a legacy can make.

The Trust has come such a long way since 1981 but fulfilling the potential of Painshill will take many, many years and there will always be a need to maintain what has been created. Legacies, whether large or small, are unexpected and uplifting for those charged with caring for Painshill and I have seen how they can open doors and bring new opportunities. I would like to feel that a gift in my will could help protect Painshill in the future so that the next generation and beyond can continue to enjoy its magic as I have done.

This is the first will I have written, and I followed the details on the Painshill website where, as a member of Remember a Charity, supporters of Painshill benefit from a 20% discount on will-writing through the Co-Operative Legal Services.  I was delighted to find that the process was extremely convenient and quick. It started with a phone call from a solicitor who went through all I wished to communicate and then I was emailed a draft copy of my proposed will for any amendments before a final version was sent out to me by recorded delivery. It really couldn’t have been more straightforward.

Remember a Charity week is a really good time to consider whether you could leave a legacy to support Painshill. I am happy that I have finally sorted out my will, something it’s all to easy to put off to another day, and in so doing I’ll also help support the future of the place that has brought me so much joy over so many years.”

Gifts in Wills are vital for most charities and Painshill is no exception.  Painshill simply wouldn’t be here without the incredible support of our communtiy and gifts that supporters have included in their Will.

The children are back in class and the days are growing shorter. September sees summer clinging on while autumn is nudging in.

Garden visiting at this time of year is especially relaxing. The sun is still out however the air is fresher and cooler.

Enjoy a peaceful walk, where you can notice changing leaf colours and the soft sunlight.

Here’s 5 things to enjoy at Painshill in September.

1. Cooler days

If you are like us then you are probably thankful that the days have grown slightly cooler. After the excessive heatwave it is enjoyable to have a fresh morning to stretch your legs and go for a walk. When cooler days approach it is easier to plan a walk further afield. Head off to see the Gothic Tower or find the Hermitage.

2. Notice the start of autumn

September is when signs of autumn begin to creep in. Look out for mushrooms and keep an eye on the colour changes.

At this time of year we have a large amount of enquiries asking when the best day is for autumn colour. There is no best day however. The trees change colour over a series of weeks. The best way to enjoy Painshill is to visit a few times a year and enjoy watching the landscape transform. The beauty of Charles Hamilton’s living paintings is that they never stay still.

3. Become a member

To watch the seasons change all year around why not become a Painshill member? Enjoy autumn colour, atmospheric winter mists, sparkling frost covered follies, snowdrops, daffodils, ducklings and the lush green of summer all for one price! Membership was capped over the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure we could manage numbers. However it is back open now! This September is the first time you can join without a waiting list for many months.

4. Produce from the Kitchen Garden

The Kitchen Garden is busy producing a lovely range of vegetables. Much of the produce is heading to the Gift Shop when it can be purchased for a donation of your choice. Harvest is every Wednesday.

5. Second hand September

Did you know that we sell second hand books in our Gift Shop? We are currently on the look out for more. If you are having a clear out this September why not bring them along to donate? Books are available from 50p and all proceeds go back into the protection of Painshill.

Painshill Park Trust is currently in the process of building a new visitor car park. Work commenced in August 2022 and we anticipate that it will continue for a 12 week period. The building site is situated between the current car park and the Visitor Centre.

Please note: when visiting Painshill you will need to walk past the building site in order to get to the Visitor Centre and enter the landscape. There may be some noise and, due to dry weather conditions, there is some dust.

Together with our contractors, we working hard to ensure the least amount of disruption to members and visitors. We thank you for your patience while this work is completed.

Many members and regular visitors to Painshill will be aware that in wet weather the current car park deteriorates quickly and the surface becomes very muddy and uneven. In order to secure the future of Painshill a new car park has long been needed.

We are delighted that work has started and look forward to offering a greatly improved visitor experience for drivers by the end of the year.

Timeline of the work

Autumn 2020

Painshill Park Trust is granted financial assistance from Elmbridge Borough Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy and planning permission by EBC.

February 2022

Work began on preparing the field. Some trees needed to be felled and bushes cut back. We did this work within the guidelines of an independently commissioned ecology report. The work was completed before the nesting season to ensure the least amount of disruption to birdlife. The reptiles and amphibians in the area were surveyed and moved to new habitats.

Before work commenced archaeologists needed to survey the area. They started digging around 11 trenches to record the area carefully and uncover anything of historical importance.

May 2022

Work was due to start however it was delayed due to further archaeology work that was needed.

August 2022

Work on the new car park has commenced. Please note that if you visit during this time you will need to walk past the building site before you arrive at the Visitor Centre. Parking is still available and free for visitors. This work will continue for 12 weeks.

Approx. Nov 2022

We anticipate the new car park will open for visitors. Work will then begin on returning the old car park to Green Belt.

Into the future

When funds allow, Painshill Park Trust intends to continue to improve the car park by installing CCTV, electric car charging points for a sustainable future and electric security gates. The new car park will be designed in such a way as to allow these improvements to be made in stages in the future.   

If you have a question or would like to know more please take a look at our FAQs or email us at info@painshill.co.uk 

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FAQs

Does this mean we can’t park at Painshill?

There is still free parking available for visitors. Due to the fact we are moving the site of the car park we are able to keep the old one open until the new one is ready.

Will the new car park still be free for visitors?

Yes, the car park will still be free. We will continue to enforce that it is only used by people visiting Painshill.

How can Painshill Park Trust, a small charity, afford a new car park?

Painshill has been granted financial aid from Elmbridge Borough Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy as well as using some of our own reserves.

Will walkers still be able to access the footpath/public right of way?

Yes, a right of way will be maintained at all times. However it might move location. Please follow the signs at all times when walking through the site.  

How will you ensure you reduce your environmental impact and don’t disrupt the local wildlife?

The tree felling, clearing and building work will be undertaken in strict accordance with an expert independent ecology report.  Painshill Park Trust will do its utmost to ensure that, while making space for cars, we minimize the impact on wildlife and the environment.  Once the new car park is open the old one will be replanted and returned to Green Belt.

How does this project secure Painshill’s future?

Painshill will have its own car park that will be used throughout the year. The existing car park is rented, incurring an annual cost for the charity.

At the entrance to Painshill, close to the Visitor Centre, is a feature that is often overlooked. Two large walled gardens were part of the original 18th century estate and vital to Charles Hamilton’s operations. They were built in 1756 to grow fruit and vegetables for his estate and its workers. He also used them to start growing new exotic plants that he received from America in seed boxes, before planting them out in his landscape. The warmth of the walls creates an environment that was described at the time as “some of the most productive in Surrey with extensive ranges of Hot Houses, Grapery and Peach Houses”. Pits for growing pineapples, a rarity in 18th century Britain, were discovered when the Painshill Park Trust undertook archaeology work.

Today the Kitchen Garden is once again thriving due to the charity’s gardening team and our landscape volunteers. It produces a huge variety of fruit and vegetables. Each week from spring to autumn they harvest whatever is in season, from the first salad leaves to October pumpkins.

Much of the produce heads to Mr Hamilton’s Tea Room, where our amazing catering staff get creative. Daily specials with ingredients from the Kitchen Garden can be purchased on your visit and there are often sweet and savoury options. The fresh and tasty ingredients could not be more seasonal or more local!

In our latest initiative to reduce waste, surplus fruit and vegetables will now be available in the Gift Shop. They can be taken away for a donation of your choice to Painshill Park Trust and the ongoing upkeep and restoration of the landscape.

We hope you will stop by the Kitchen Garden on our next visit and see it for yourself!

The school holidays are here and August is all about getting together with your family and making special memories.

With heaps of history and heritage, vast beauty and outdoor adventure, Painshill appeals to all ages.

Here’s 5 things to enjoy at Painshill in August.

1. Enjoy a family day out

School is out for summer!

Put Painshill on your list this summer holiday for a fantastic family day out. Go in search of a fairy-tale castle or a sparkling crystal cave. Get back to nature with our children’s wildlife spotting trails and activity sheets or bring along a picnic and relax all day.

Did you know we offer free tickets for the under 5s? They can also bring a bike or scooter with them.

2. Relax with a festival of Wellbeing

Join us this August as we team up with Wisdom on Wellness to bring you a festival full of good vibes. Take a guided tour of the landscape, listen to guest speakers, shop wellbeing products and try a taster workshop in Forest Bathing, Sound Healing and more!

3. Treat yourself to ice-cream

In the summer sun there is nothing better than a cold sweet treat! Our ice-cream hut is open over the school holidays serving the absolutely delicious Joe Delucci’s Gelato.

4. Enjoy family favourite Alice in Wonderland

The end of August (Sat 27th) brings our last outdoor theatre event for 2022. The family favourite Alice in Wonderland is one for all ages. Follow Alice down the rabbit hole and on one amazing adventure!

5. Listen to jazz music on the Amphitheatre

Relax with a chilled drink from Corks Occasions and listen to live jazz on the Amphitheatre lawn from The Sarah Jane Eveleigh Jazz Quartet every Sunday in the month, plus the bank holiday Monday!

With a heat wave just around the corner we are truly in the height of summer. Now is the time to enjoy the tranquility of Painshill and soak up the sun!

We have recently cut the lawns to make the hay. Now the grass is short why not bring along a picnic and spread out on a blanket for a relaxing summer afternoon in the landscape.

Here’s 5 things to enjoy at Painshill in July.

1. Enjoy Live Music Lates

Cover bands and world renowned tribute bands will bring a festival vibe to our stunning gardens every Wed and Thur. In July don’t miss brit pop covers from Jump the Gun or rock from Lady Luck and the Riverside Boys. We will also welcome Rick Parfitt Jr, son of a Status Quo legend. Read our interview with him here.

2. Spot the Hollyhocks

Look out for one of the most beautiful summer flowers – the Hollyhock. It gives that cottage garden vibe to the beds around the Temple of Bacchus and in the Walled Garden. The Walled Garden is open for our summer events including stand-up comedy on Tuesdays.

3. Find out about the Crystal Grotto

Step into the Crystal Grotto and you will not want to put your camera down. The shimmering cave is covered in sparkling crystals.

One of the tunnels to enter the Crystal Grotto is currently being repaired. If you see our volunteers at work please do stop and chat. They would be very happy to tell you what they are working on and show you how the Grotto walls are created and maintained. In the below video Warwick Hutchinson tells us a bit about it.

The Grotto chamber is open Tues to Sun.

4. Stroll in the Kitchen Garden

On your visit don’t miss the Kitchen Garden just outside the entrance to Painshill. in summer it is alive with a variety of plants. We are currently busy harvesting lots of fruit and veg for use in our Tea Room.

5. See some Shakespeare

440 Theatre are 4 actors delivering exciting, engaging and energetic pieces of theatre in 40 minutes! They bring a double-bill – Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet – to Painshill on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 July.

Rick Parfitt Jr, son of a Status Quo legend, has promised to “rock the proverbial roof off the place” when he and his band of seasoned musicians bring their live show to Painshill on Wed 13 July.

Rick is, of course, the son of Status Quo’s late, legendary rhythm guitarist Rick Parfitt. He and his bandmates in the RPJ Band are experienced rock musicians who between them have shared a stage with stars such as ELO, Belinda Carlisle, Gary Barlow, Teenage Dirtbag, Robert Plant and Jack Savoretti – to name just a few.

“I have lived all over the county and have known about Painshill all my life,”

says Rick, who was born and grew up in Surrey. I’m looking forward to getting there a bit early, lying out in the sunshine and then, as the sun goes down, rocking the proverbial roof off the place!”

As the number one corporate events band in the UK, the RPJ Band travels all over the world and sets the standard for the industry. This year, the band will open the Isle of Wight Festival along with a raft of others across the country.

“I’m so passionate about this band,” says Rick. “When we started, there was no one doing what we were doing in the event world. No one dared to – they all played it safe. I wanted to raise the bar.

“Everyone frowned on functions and wedding bands – there was a stigma to it and there still is to an extent, but I really believe that shouldn’t mean you can’t get an absolutely amazing experience with incredible musicians playing the best songs ever; really pushing them across as they should be played to give that proper Wembley Stadium-style experience.

“We’ve become very good at that over the years – we fire energy into people, and they go nuts.”

Being the best was always the aim of a musician who struggled with all the insecurities that being the son of a rock star brings.

“People say there’s nothing more balanced than kids of rock stars as they have a chip on both shoulders, and I think that’s probably pretty fair. It’s very difficult to make your way in the same profession as your father, especially when you have the same name.

“People just want to put you down – it’s the easiest thing. If you do well, it’s because of your father, if you don’t do well, then you must be rubbish. You can’t win.

“When I was younger, I had big management, but I was very naïve and surrounded by sharks who thought they could make money off my name. I wasn’t sure who I was an artist, and I was racked with the insecurities of having a famous dad and what people would say. It just didn’t end up working.

“That’s probably the reason I went into the corporate events side of music and called my band the RPJ Band, so nobody would know it was me.”

Hiding from the crowd was something Rick, who has had Crohn’s Disease from the age of nine, was used to.

Suffering all the way through his teenage years, by the age of 21 he weighed just five and a half stone and had to have his first major bowel resection.

“When everyone else was formulating their lives, I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t do anything; I looked awful. I thought I was going to spend all my life in pain. Motorsport is my other passion away from music. I had my first experience of a go kart on a track in the field at Queen drummer Roger Taylor’s house – I couldn’t reach the brakes, so I just pressed the accelerator and went round and round for hours until the petrol ran out!

“When I was at my lowest point with Crohn’s, it was motorsport and karting that actually gave me my life back because I could hide behind a helmet and a race suit, and no one would look at me and see that thin, ill kid.

“Instead, they just said – oh look, he’s quick. They were judging me on talent and nothing else.

“I have always somehow found the reserves to get through. I won’t ever let it defeat me and I won’t be defined by the illness.

“With the racing, with the music, the whole point of my message is to say to everyone look, I’ve had nearly 20 operations, four major ones, I have no gut left, I carry all the scars of insecurity that this illness gives you, but you can still achieve your dreams. I’m living proof of it. You just have to believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who believe in you, too.

“I’m the first and only driver to be both GT3 and GT4 champion, and I’m currently in British Touring Cars, the hardest championship in the word. I’m on stage in front of thousands. It can be done. 

“I get countless people reaching out to me and I will talk to anyone. Crohns and Colitis UK is amazing at bringing people together to support each other, and I’m proud to be an ambassador for them.”

Rick is now 47 and married to Rachel, with whom he runs a corporate events agency. They live in Nottingham with their Cavachon, Charlie.

“He’s awesome! When he was a puppy, Quo used to rehearse in Shepperton and I would take him along. They’d be smashing it out at a million decibels, and he would just go to sleep. I thought, how is he doing that? This dog is definitely a Parfitt. He’s a rock and roll little dog!”

So, will Rick be playing any Quo at Painshill?

“I tend to avoid playing Status Quo, but on occasions I’ve not been averse to putting one in. The one that occasionally makes it is Rockin’ All Over the World – and that’s because that is a cover as well.

And if it’s a return to Painshill, my home, I’ll have a lot of friends and family there, so, you know, I’m sure to throw something in…”