Cobham’s Painshill Park has welcomed fans’ well-known, beloved heroes and villains into its grounds to celebrate the arrival of winter, and these life-sized statues can be discovered along the scenic ‘Festive Heroes Trail’ which is about a 1.5 mile walk. 

 

Enclosed within huge presents, the character inside remains unknown until you are right in front of it and scattered randomly along the trail, they highlight the beautiful areas of nature surrounding them, drawing attention to the change the winter season brings to the esteemed garden. Though the walk is mostly flat, there are areas which require more of a climb as it gets steeper. The trail also takes you over multiple bridges exposing the striking views of the landscape over the water which is especially remarkable as the sun starts to set.

 

Anytime you visit Painshill between the 19th of November and the 8th of January the characters will be waiting, and general admission tickets include complete access to the trail. The park recommends booking in advance online with tickets being £10 for adults, £5 for children and free for all under 5s with members getting in free. 

 

Speaking to one of the members of staff at the park, he said ‘it’s been a hit and wildly popular among our guests of all ages, but of course we’ve noticed a particular excitement with the younger visitors and it really is lovely to see!’. I asked him as well if we can expect more themes to come to the park in the new year, and he encouraged keeping an eye out for this possibility. 

 

As a frequent visitor of Painshill, the superheroes are an impressive addition with a good variety of characters and a well thought through trail, ranking highly among some of the other themes they’ve tackled over the years. I highly recommend a visit if you can, if not to see the superheroes but to enjoy the beautiful landscape, and feel free to indulge in the snacks and drinks at the café as a reward at the end.