This summer, visitors to Painshill in Cobham can enjoy a unique walk through words and nature thanks to a new poetry trail created by Painshill’s first Poet-in-Residence, Nia Broomhall, in collaboration with the local community.
Opening on Saturday July 19, Find what you find is a trail of 25 enchanting poems displayed at 25 locations across the 18th century landscape, giving visitors an opportunity to experience Painshill in new and inspiring ways.
With echoes of Charles Hamilton (1704-1786) – who designed Painshill to evoke the emotions of 18th century visitors – the new poetry trail has been developed to foster feelings of wellbeing today.
“Nia has explored Painshill through her own unique poetic lens, and through this work she has given the landscape many new voices and perspectives, opening it up in new ways to everyone,” says Gary Topp, Director of Painshill.
“The poems will help you notice different things, encourage your emotional responses and remind you of why a walk at Painshill is such a special experience. The poetry trail literally puts the poems in the locations that inspired them and turns the landscape into a giant poetry book for you to read as you walk.”
The trail marks the culmination of Nia’s 18-month residency at Painshill, supported by Arts Council England. During this time, Nia explored Painshill’s Grade I listed landscape and spent time talking to visitors about why Painshill is special to them. The poems she has written reflect her own love for Painshill as well as the thoughts and feelings of visitors.
Also included in the new poetry trail are poems by members of Painshill’s local community who took part in Poetry Writing Workshops led by Nia as part of her residency.
“I’ve been a regular visitor to Painshill since my teenagers were babies and it has always been my happy place,” says Nia Broomhall. “It’s a story. It’s a poem. I knew I could write and write about it. With the poetry trail, I wanted to take the 18th century idea of an emotional trail and turn it into something affirmative, that could support people’s wellbeing.
“My hope is that everyone can find something in the trail that resonates with them. Creating this trail has brought me a huge amount of joy, and I really hope people enjoy it. I’m grateful to both Arts Council England and the Painshill Park Trust for making this very special project a reality.”
Brought together, the poems and the poetry trail – all inspired by Painshill’s historic landscape – are the latest chapter in Painshill’s long creative history.
Originally envisaged as a living painting by Charles Hamilton, Painshill is internationally recognised as a masterpiece of landscape design.
“Hamilton’s work of creative fiction took an ordinary expanse of farmland and turned it into an internationally acclaimed landscape design,” says Gary Topp, Director of Painshill. “This extraordinary creative act, restored over the last forty years, makes Painshill an important place for showcasing contemporary creative practice.”
Painshill is a Grade I listed landscape, one of the first to be listed and one of only 140 in existence. Lost for many years, it was rediscovered in the 1980s and lovingly restored by the Painshill Park Trust.
The title Find what you find is taken from a line in the first poem, Beginning. It captures the unique experience of each visitor as they explore layers of landscape, history, emotion and creativity.
The trail showcases each poem in large installations allowing visitors to walk with the words. Poems are also available as audio recordings.
- Find what you find runs at Painshill from Saturday July 19 to Thursday September 18. Tickets can be booked at www.painshill.co.uk/visit-us
