Friends excursion: Painshill Park, Surrey
Tuesday 12 June 2018 12.30 - 7pm
Join the coach on Piccadilly outside the RA. Please note that the coach will leave promptly at 12.30pm.
£58. Includes coach travel and cream tea.
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Created between 1738 and 1773 by the Hon. Charles Hamilton, Painshill Park is considered to be England’s most elegant 18th-century landscaped garden.
The vistas Charles Hamilton designed around Painshill Park were inspired by Renaissance art seen on his Grand Tours around Europe. The landscapes he created form living works of art, into which he placed follies for dramatic effect. These unique 18th-century follies include a ruined Abbey and vineyard, tantalisingly viewed across a tranquil lake, the Turkish tent, pictured, a Gothic temple and a stunning crystal grotto, containing hundreds of thousands of crystals including calcite, gypsum and quartz.
Following an overview and introduction to the garden by the head gardener we'll split into smaller groups to tour highlights of the grounds. We end our visit with cream tea in the Turkish tent, where we can enjoy a final glimpse of the magnificent views.