Petworth Park through Turner's eyes
Discover the views that inspired England's greatest landscape painter, JMW Turner, who was a frequent guest at Petworth, returning year after year thanks to his friendship with George O’Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont (1751-1837). Stroll around the glassy lake where the artist regularly fished and take in the views captured in his paintings, ‘Dewy Morning’ and 'Sunset, Fighting Bucks'. Stop in afterwards to view the collection at Petworth House, home to 20 Turner oil paintings – the largest collection outside of the Tate.
Total stages: 5
Total stages: 5
Start point
Petworth Park car park, grid ref: SU966238 (not Petworth House car park)
Stage 1
From the ticket machine in the Deer Park car park and with the park wall on your left, walk down the grass path (keeping the wall to your left). Continue until you reach the Lower Pond.
Stage 2
From the top end of Lower Pond any of the three paths towards Arbour Hill will lead you to Upper Pond. Follow the path to the right of Upper Pond, and stop shortly after the gate. You should have the two spring-fed Stew Ponds ahead of you and a lumpy grass hill on your right.
Stage 3
Look across Upper Pond towards the House to see the scene from Turner's oil painting entitled 'Dewy Morning', one of a set of four exhibited in the White Library in the House - this room is open occasionally to visitors, by kind permission of Lord and Lady Egremont. The paintings took over four years to complete due to Turner testing different subjects and compositions. From here walk across Mansion Lawn until you are roughly half way between Upper Pond and the House
Stage 4
To continue with your walk heading further along Mansion Lawn and join a stone path beside the ha-ha built by Capability Brown.
Stage 5
Continue up the hill along the stone path as it hugs the wall, as you reach the top follow the path down the hill and then continue to hug the walls of the Park until you reach the Lower Pond once more. From here retrace your steps back to the Deer Park car park.
End point
Petworth Park car park, grid ref: SU966238 (not Petworth House car park)
Trail map
More near here
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Discover more about the ancient trees that dominate the skyline of Petworth on this circular walk in Sussex.
Capability Brown's Pleasure Gardens walk
A 1-mile (1.6km) circular stroll around Petworth's Pleasure Gardens that takes in the highlights of the naturalistic landscape created by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown.
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Enjoy a 3-mile (4.8km) walk through the 700 acres (2.8sq km) of parkland through a landscape sculpted by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, with ancient trees, fallow deer and views over the park to distant hills towards the South Downs.
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