about this event
Award-winning journalist, Margaret Buntrock, will be
talking about her novel, Pains Hill, a psychological thriller set in Cobham’s
Grade I listed landscape garden, Painshill Park.
Margaret’s novel is inspired by the real-life story of the
garden’s maker, Charles Hamilton, a frustrated artist who created one of the
most important 18th century gardens in Europe, despite having neither the
wealth nor the land to achieve his ambitious dream. What drove this man to
pursue his costly obsession, which he was ultimately forced to abandon, and
even more intriguingly, what happened to his first wife (he had three) who has
disappeared from all historical records?
In recent years, the restored Painshill Park has become a
popular filming location and has been seen by millions in scenes from
Bridgerton, the Netflix TV series.
As a journalist Margaret has written many feature articles
for publications including The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Gardens Illustrated
etc. She is currently editing the manuscript of her new novel, Venetian Friends
and Lovers, which draws on her experience of owning an apartment in Venice,
Italy.