Bliss-Girls

It’s school holidays and my son wanted a picnic for the weekend. After scouring the internet for a good couple of hours, we finalised on the crystal grotto in Painshill park. Entry to this park requires tickets to be purchased either online or at the park entrance. Kids below 5 do not require an entry ticket. We brought timed tickets online. Our entry was at 2PM.

We packed some picnic food, got into the car, and set off to the park. From our home in East London, it takes over an hour and a half, passing through scenic motorways, to reach Painshill.

About Painshill

Painshill Park is a lush, green park spanning over 158 acres. It was designed by Charles Hamilton. He had planted many trees, we can see the big Cedar tree from Hamilton’s era even today. It is very tall and is the largest multi-stemmed cedar in Europe. This park is famously known as a ‘Living Painting’—a truly deserving title for what it is.

Key highlight of this park is the man-made crystal grotto and the serpentine lake. The grotto is small but very picturesque. The park also has few man made bridges, again beautiful backdrop for some amazing pictures.

After spending a good 30 minutes or so, we walked over two bridges and then set out our picnic mat on a large green patch next to the Serpentine Lake. As we started having our food, we had tiny visitors, the fearless Ducks. Kids loved having them around. After food, it was time for more pictures. The weather was too good for a picnic and we absolutely loved it.

If you’re a coffee lover, grab a cup at the exit and enjoy it while your kids play in the natural play area. It was almost closing time when we left the park. On our way back to the car park, we spent a bit of time admiring the apple trees near the entrance. If you’re in London, be sure to visit this park and enjoy the views.