This section of our walk starts is 11.4 miles. It starts at Windsor & Eton Riverside Station and takes in Windsor Castle, The Long Walk, Windsor Great Park, Three Castles Path, Virginia Water, Valley Gardens, Savill Garden and Englefield Green.

For a map of section 3 visit MapMyWalk. The map can be downloaded as a GPX or KML file.

If you just want to print out the "Route Instructions" of section 3 of this walk, without all the blurb on the website, you can download this as a Word Doc by clicking on the blue button below.

Start at Windsor & Eton Riverside Train Station. Grid Ref: SU 96854 77205  Postcode SL4 1QG  See Map of start. 

From Windsor & Eton Riverside Railway Station, cross over Datchet Road using the zebra crossing and turn right. After 75 yards, and on approaching a junction, turn left into Thames Street.

On the left, at the junction of Thames Street and Datchet Road is the King George V Memorial. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and unveiled by George VI on 23rd April 1937. Nearby is a blue plaque which remembers the Windsor Martyrs. It is inscribed, “Three local men who were burnt to death on this spot in 1543 for their religious beliefs.”

Now uphill along Thames Street soon past the Old Bank House and the Prince Christian Victor Statue (Grandson to Queen Victoria). From here the wall of Windsor Castle is to our left until the top of the hill. Soon across Thames Street is the Theatre Royal plus lots of old houses where their ground floors have been converted to restaurants, shops, pubs and hotels to cater for tourists. On some of the walls there are plaques remembering their history.

Above to the left is the Curfew Tower, one of the oldest parts of the castle, with its narrow windows looming over the street. The Tower dates back to the 13th Century. It houses the castle dungeons and had a gibbet at the top where bodies of criminals were hung as a warning to the people. High Street now becomes Thames Street. Below in the gutter there are metal inserts at intervals. These were used as anchor points for horse-drawn carriages to stop them from rolling back down the hill.

Windsor Royal Station, is to the right, near the top of the hill. It was opened in 1849 when the Great Western Railway extended the line from Slough at the bequest of Queen Victoria. It is one of two stations in the town, both being termini for different lines, both next to the castle and only a few hundred yards apart. The other, Windsor & Eton Riverside, was built by South Western Railway and also opened in 1849. There was competition between both companies to get the first train into Windsor. Both were delayed by opposition from Eton College and Windsor Castle. The latter company won by just a few days.

Next to Windsor Royal Station is the imposing Harte & Garter Hotel. The hotel was formed in the late 19th century from two adjacent 14th century inns; The Garter, named after the Order of the Garter and the White Harte, named in honour of the emblem worn by Richard II.

At 0.25 miles cross straight over Castle Hill.

At the junction, with Castle Hill, is Queen Victoria's statue, placed here in 1887 to commemorate her 50th year on the throne. To the left, and just further up Castle Hill, is the King Henry VIII Gateway, the main entrance to the castle from the town. Opposite the gateway is the entrance to Church Street, a delightful cobbled stoned street, lined with many old interesting buildings. They include Nell Gwyn's House – she did seem to have more than one in the town. Dating from 1640, this was said to once been home to Charles II's famous mistress. It's alleged her ghost can sometimes be heard walking through the house. There are many ghost stories associated with the town - you can read some by following the link. Just past this is the Old King's Head (built 1525), and it is believed to be where William Shakespeare stayed in 1597 whilst he wrote The Merry Wives of Windsor". This is remembered by a plaque on the front of the building. Many of the characters in the play are thought to have been based on local people of the time. The pub is now a restaurant and next to the plaque is a copy of the “Death Warrant of King Charles I” (1684). It contains the signatures of 59 leading Parliamentarians of the time, most of who were sought out and punished, by the dead king’s son Charles II, after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1690.

There are a few old quaint streets in this small area of the town containing gift & antique shops, tearooms, restaurants, old pubs and much more. If you wish to see for yourself, then the short walk around them is really worth it.

Castle Hill has the Horse & Groom (1719); Church Lane the Highlander; and Market Street the Carpenters Arms (1518) and The Prince Harry (1518) - a new name. Between the High Street and Market Street is Queen Charlotte Street, recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest street in the UK at 51 feet 10 inches as stated by a blue plaque on one of the buildings (see video). Next to this is the Crooked House, originally built as a butcher’s shop in 1687. It gets its strange shape from the unseasoned timber used in its reconstruction in 1718.

Windsor Castle is the largest in the country, with 13 acres inside its curtain wall, and stands on a cliff above the Thames, looking down on both the river and the town. William the Conqueror built the first castle here in about 1070, a wooden Motte & Bailey Castle. It was one of a number built as a defensive ring around London. However, it is believed the Saxons also used Windsor previously as a fortification.

In August 2006 to celebrate the Queen’s 80th birthday, she gave permission to Tony Robinson and his Channel 4 Time Team to explore some of the royal properties in “The Big Royal Dig”. Windsor Castle was included and here they found evidence of a round table building thought to have been erected by King Edward III in 1344, and used by knights to feast as they watched entertainment conducted in the middle. It may have possibly been England’s first known theatre where nobility were said to have dressed up and acted out scenes from King Arthur’s times. You can watch the Time Team programmes on YouTube.

Windsor takes its name from the Anglo-Saxon word “Wyndesore” meaning “winding shore” and most possibly referring to the twisting course of the river in this area. In the early years Windsor was only used as a fortification. There was a Saxon royal palace at Old Windsor, near Runnymede, from the 9th century, which the Normans continued to use after the invasion up until the 12th Century. The castle at Windsor was first used as a royal residence by King Henry I in about 1110. The oldest parts of the castle that can be seen today date from around 1160, during the reign of King Henry II. Successive monarchs have made many additions and replaced many parts of the castle through the years. However, the centre of the castle is still the motte (artificial hill) where William’s wooden castle stood and where the Round Tower now stands. The current tower was originally built by Edward III in the middle of the 14th century and replaced the previous one built by Henry II almost 200 years earlier. The tower was raised to its present height in the 19th century. Edward III was often referred to as “Edward of Windsor” as he was born in the castle on 13th November 1312.

There are many things to see in the castle including the magnificent 15th century St George's Chapel. It was originally founded by Edward III in 1348 and rebuilt by Edward IV in 1475. The chapel is home to the “Order of the Garter” and is the last resting place of many monarchs and other members of the Royal Family. They include Edward IV (died 1483), Henry VI (reburied in 1484), Henry VIII (1547), Charles I (1649), George III (1820), George IV (1830), William IV (1837), Edward VII (1910), George V (1936), and George VI (1952).

Below you can watch the official "Visit Windsor Castle" video at YouTube. This short video was uploaded by the account of The Royal Family.

During disagreements between Charles I and Parliament, Windsor Castle was taken over and occupied by Parliamentary troops commanded by Colonel Venn on 28th October 1642. They pillaged the contents and especially the royal bastion of St George’s Chapel. A couple of years later the castle was where the Parliamentary New Model Army came into being.

Windsor Castle remained in the possession of Parliament during the English Civil War and Windsor was its headquarters and training ground. Charles I was eventually captured and spent a short time under house arrest at Windsor before his execution on 30th January 1649. Many other Royalists were also imprisoned here during the war. After Charles’ death, the monarchy was abolished and a new republic the “Commonwealth of England” was established. The castle remained in the hands of Parliament until the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. During this time, many of the castle’s treasures were stolen by the underpaid soldiers, or sold off to finance the Parliamentarian’s wars against the Royalists. On 20th April 1653, Oliver Cromwell, in command of the New Model Army, dismissed Parliament by force. He set up his own Parliament and had himself declared Lord Protector of England, Ireland and Scotland on 16th December that year. He remained in this dictatorship and king like role until his death on 3rd December 1658. It’s incredible that he helped remove the monarchy and eventually established himself as a self-appointed monarch. Cromwell declared his son Richard his heir, but he only lasted a year in the job. In 1660 Charles’ son, who had been hiding in exile most of this time, returned to England and was crowned Charles II thus restoring the monarchy in England.

Charles II did much to restore and refurnished the Castle. The Long Walk was laid out and the Royal Apartments and St George’s Hall were rebuilt. The new rooms were decorated with ceiling paintings by Antonio Verrio and carvings by Grinling Gibbons. Charles acquired many other paintings and tapestries and retrieved many of those which had been previously lost to furnish the rooms. These artworks went on to form the core of what is now the Royal Collection.

After the death of Charles II in 1685, the castle remained mainly uninhabited until 1804 when George III, looking for a larger residence for his ever-growing family, decided to move to Windsor. Once again, the castle became the royal residence. By 1811 George was suffering from a severe mental illness, and for his own safety was confined to the castle. He remained there until his death in 1820. In those last nine years, he seldom left his apartments at Windsor. This period was depicted in the 1994 Oscar winning movie “The Madness of King George”. It starred Nigel Hawthorne as King George III and Helen Mirren as Queen Charlotte.

It was George’s son and predecessor George IV who had the greatest influence on the restructuring of the castle. He employed architect Jeffry Wyatville (1766 – 1840) to carry out restoration work. Wyatville was the first architect to look at the castle as a whole and not a scattering of buildings from different periods. He remodeled many of the buildings, extending some in size and height so as to give an overall symmetry to the castle. The height of the Round Tower was increased so as the central point it towered over everything. The work took many years to do and wasn’t finished until long after George IV death in 1830. However, Wyatville did complete the work before his own death in 1840. What we see today is still a castle with buildings going back over 900 years, but all now blending in with each other into one huge symmetrical structure created by Wyatville’s alterations.

England’s next monarch, Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, The Prince Consort, made Windsor their principal royal residence. Victoria made very few changes to the building but did make some to the gardens, including the enclosure of the now private Home Park. They are both buried in the Royal Mausoleum near Frogmore House in the Home Park.

On 11th December 1936, after less than a year on the throne, Edward VIII broadcast his abduction speech to the nation from the castle. The crown passed onto his younger brother George VI.

During World War II, the royal children Princess’ Elizabeth & Margaret stayed at Windsor, while their parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth supported the war effort in London. When Elizabeth became Queen in 1952, she decided to make Windsor her principal weekend retreat, which has continued until the present day.

On 20th November 1992, a fire destroyed many of the state rooms and other areas of the “upper ward”. The restoration programme took until 1997 to complete and cost £37 million. It was funded by opening the state rooms at Buckingham Palace to the public.

Most of the castle and parts of the Home Park are now open to the public, following the repairs. However, if you are intending to visit it’s best to check their website first as during certain ceremonies and dates the castle is closed.

Windsor is still a garrison town and home to the Household Calvary Regiment at Combermere Barracks on St. Leonards Road, a mile southwest of the Castle. It is also home to 1st Battalion, Irish Guards. They are based at Victoria Barracks in Sheet Street, just south of the castle.

To read a more simplified version of the history of Windsor Castle you can visit the Royal Berkshire History website “for Kids” section. Also, “not for kids”, there are many stories of ghosts being seen in the Castle and in the Great Park. Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Charles I and George III have all been reportedly seen here after their deaths. The Long Walk has a story of a young Grenadier Guard who shot himself after seeing statues moving of their own accord. You can read more about these stories at the Ghost-Story website, or watch the short video below.

Whilst passing through this area of town, please be wary of the large crowds of people it attracts to watch the changing of the guard and delve about in the narrow cobbled streets.

On passing Castle Hill, Thames Street becomes High Street. The pavement soon passes under Christopher Wren's Guildhall, built in 1687. In his original design, he intended only an outer set of pillars. However, the council was not convinced this would hold the load and made him build inner pillars. He complied with their instructions, but proved his point. If you look closely, you will see that there is a gap above the inner pillars, hence bearing no load. The Guildhall was the setting for the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2006. After the civil ceremony, they then went on to have a Service of Blessing of their wedding at St George’s Chapel in the castle.

It was also at the Guildhall, on 21st December the previous year, when civil partnerships became legal in the UK, where Sir Elton John (singer, songwriter and resident of Old Windsor) wed long time boyfriend David Furnish. They were only one of 700 gay couples who hitched up with each other that day. Many celebrities from around the world attended the occasion at Windsor.

On the opposite side of the High Street to the Guildhall is a small gift shop called Glorious Britain. This was previously “Rodgers and Denyer” draper’s shop and where HG Wells got his first job as a draper’s apprentice at the age of 14 in 1880. A plaque on the entrance to the shop commemorates this.

Stay straight on along the High Street past Windsor Parish Church, then at the junction veer left into Park Street.

The Parish Church of St John the Baptist as built in 1822 and replaced an older part Saxon and part Norman church.

To the left near the junction of the two streets is a blue mailbox dating from 1911 and possibly the only one in the UK. It was erected for the world’s first postal airmail service. This took place between Windsor and Hendon and was to celebrate King George V’s coronation. Next to it are two old red mailboxes, an ancient well and the statue of a soldier, unveiled by the Irish Guards in 2011.

The road to the left is St Albans Street. It contains is the Royal Mews with its exhibition of state coaches. Just past this is Burford House, built for Nell Gwyn in the 1670s. On her death (4th November 1687) the house passed onto her son Charles Beauclerk, Duke of St Albans an illegitimate son of King Charles II and from whom the street gets its name. It now houses a collection of gifts presented to the royal family. Charles II had many mistresses and produced many illegitimate children as a consequence. Two notable people descended from these include, Diana, Princess of Wales (bloodstock from four of his children), and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

At the other end of St Albans Street a blue plaque on the castle wall states, "from 1785 to 1788 Mrs Mary Delaney (1700 – 1788), artist and friend of royalty lived here in a house provided by King George III – a frequent visitor was the novelist and diarist Fanny Burney (1752 – 1840) - while engaged as Keeper of the Robes to Queen Charlotte".

Park Street is mainly residential and full of 17th & 18th century buildings. Some were once coaching inns and one or two coaching arches remain. Up until the closure of the Home Park in 1848, this was the main road out of Windsor towards London. The Two Brewers public house. This 17th century pub has low ceilings, many artefacts on its walls and two bars “This Bar” and “That Bar”. On 7 May 2013 the building opposite the pub burnt down and was possibly caused by arson.

Go past the Two Brewers and straight on through Park Street Gate into the Home Park. Turn right along the Long Walk and continue straight for 2.5 miles towards the Copper Horse in the distance.

The is a magnificent view of the castle from the Long Walk and in the opposite direction it stretches out through the Home Park and the Great Park to the Copper Horse on Snow Hill in the distance.

The Long Walk was started by Charles II who had a double avenue of Elm trees planted between 1680 1685. Queen Anne added the central carriageway in 1710. However, most of the trees died and were replaced by young Elms from the castle to where the gates are now, next to Park Street. Beyond that the soil was found to be unsuitable for Elms so were replaced by a lines of Horse Chestnuts and London Planes. 

In 1908 the Olympic Marathon started on The Long Walk at the gates of Windsor Castle. The Marathon was fixed at 42.195 km (26.2 miles) instead of the normal 25 miles - the distance from Windsor Castle to the Royal Box in the Olympic Stadium at White City. This became the official Marathon distance from the 1924 Games onwards. In 2012 10,000 spectators saw the Olympic Torch carried along the Long Walk. Another large crowd was recorded here was again in 2012, this time 25,000 attended a military muster and flypast to celebrate the The Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The Home Park is the monarch’s own park, most is to the left and hidden behind a metal fence. The area was closed off as a private park with the passing of “The Windsor Castle and Town Approaches Act” by Parliament in 1848. The private part of the park contains many places of interest including: Frogmore House; the Royal Mausoleum (visible from the Long Walk, and the resting place of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert); Adelaide Cottage; the Windsor Castle Golf Course (only open to members of the royal family and their staff); Home Farm and the Windsor Farm Shop.

On joining the Long Walk we also join another long distance path, the Three Castles Path. It follows the route which King John would have taken in the 13th century, joining up three of his many royal castles, Winchester and Odiham, both in Hampshire, and Windsor. The total distance is 60 miles and would have been two good day's march. John would have taken this route many times and probably at the time of Magna Carta. We follow the Three Castles Path for the next 4.6 miles.

On Saturday 19 May 2018 Windsor was home to the Royal Wedding of Megan Markle and Prince Harry (Wikipedia has a very detailed section on the wedding). They were married in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. They then were escorted in an open horse-drawn carriage through the streets of Windsor and along The Long Walk from the A308 and back to the castle. An estimated 110,000 people lined the route. You can watch the procession below on The Royal Family Channel at YouTube. Luckily, it should be a bit quieter when you walk along this section of The Long Walk.

After three-quarters of a mile the Long Walk crosses over Albert Road (A308) and enters Windsor Great Park. Just under half a mile later a large metal gate signifies the entrance to the deer park. Luckily entrance is achieved via a side pedestrian gate.

Windsor Great Park covers an area of 5,000 acres and is managed by the Crown Estate. Historically, Windsor Forest covered an area many times greater. The park we basically see today was outlined by Henry III in the 1360s.

Below is a short official advertising video from Windsor Great Park. It covers many of the places we will visit in the next 8.9 miles on our walk through the Great Park.

The Long Walk is said to be haunted by Herne the Hunter, a royal keeper, in the time of Richard II. Apparently he fell out of favour and hung himself from an oak tree. The ghost is claimed he has huge horns and hunts at midnight with his band of devil dogs. The first record of him seems to be in Shakespeare's “The Merry Wives of Windsor”:

“There is an old tale goes that Herne the hunter,

Sometime a keeper here in Windsor forest,

Doth all the winter-time, at still midnight,

Walk round about an oak, with great ragg'd horns;

And there he blasts the tree and takes the cattle

And makes milch-kine yield blood and shakes a chain

In a most hideous and dreadful manner:”

You have heard of such a spirit, and well you know

The superstitious idle-headed eld

Received and did deliver to our age

This tale of Herne the hunter for a truth."

There are lots of different versions of the story of Herne the Hunter, some even connect him with Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest. There are also many different videos. I've watched a few and the one I enjoyed the most is below.

At the end of The Long Walk turn left for just a few yards, then turn right onto a path uphill across the grass and past the Copper Horse. Note: You can just go on straight up to the Copper Horse, but it's very steep.

“The Copper Horse” sits on the top of Snow Hill and it's only when you get close that you appreciate how huge it is. The bronze statue depicts George III (reigned 1760 - 1820) on horseback with his hand pointing towards his favourite residence, Windsor Castle. It was commissioned by his son George IV. The sculptor, Richard Westmacott, took a few years to complete the work and when erected in 1831, it had to be done in sections due to the size. The king is portrayed as a Roman emperor, wearing a tunic and with no stirrups. Westmacott is also said to have been influenced by an earlier equestrian statue Peter the Great in St Petersburg (aka the Bronze Horseman), but it does also have a lot of similar characteristics the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius in Rome. After writing this I discovered George IV died a year before it was erected, I just hope he had already paid for The Copper Horse.

Look back to see the wonderful view of the tree-lined Long Walk stretching out for 2.65 miles to the King George IV Gateway at Windsor Castle. On a clear day, the view from Snow Hill is claimed to be one of the best in the country and yet, even on a beautiful day, this place is hardly ever busy. It's probably because you can only get here by horseback or under your own power. As well as the magnificent view of Windsor Castle, you can see along the Thames Valley, the Staines' reservoirs, the planes taking off and landing at Heathrow Airport, the arch at Wembley Stadium and the tall buildings of Central London, to name just a few. 

Stay straight on soon crossing over a sandy track along a well-defined path (at 3 miles). After half a mile follow path as it veers left and past Ox Pond to your right and soon to a road. Turn sharp right along the road.

If using an Ordnance Survey map you'll see the route is still following the Three Castles Path and will continue to do so for another mile and a half. It's just a shame the path is not way-marked.

At Y-junction stay left and after another 580 yards, at crossroads, turn left onto Duke's Lane (at 4.1 miles).

Follow Duke's Lane for a mile. Then, just after reaching a small wood to your left (at 5.1 miles), turn left onto wide horse track through woods

The area where we leave Dukes Lane is where the horses for the Royal Procession at Ascot are rested each day before they complete the short last leg of their journey to Ascot Racecourse.

After another 0.68 miles turn left, off the main track onto a path over a stream then straight on along a wide path going east and to the north of Virginia Water Lake.

Half a mile later the path comes out onto a road. Turn right over Five-Arch Bridge and after 250 yards turn left onto tarmac path.

At this point you are almost 6.5 miles into this leg of the walk The route from here to the Virginia Water Pavillion is very straightforward as it follows the main path / cycle track around the south and east south side of Virginia Water Lake.

Five-Arch Bridge was designed by Sir Jeffry Wyattville and completed in 1827. It takes the road from Blacknest Gate over Virginia Water and on through the centre of the park past the polo grounds at Smith's Lawn.

The paths around Virginia Water Lake are a delight, but the distance is a lot further than most people realise. We don't go all the way around, but we do pass almost all of the things in the video below. As you walk you may notice the video does move in the opposite direction to us.

The construction of the Virginia Water Lake began in 1749 by Prince William, Duke of Cumberland and Ranger of Windsor Great Park. His aim was to dam a stream which ran through the valley, creating a lake and transfer this boggy part of Surrey into beautiful parkland. With the help of Deputy Ranger, Thomas Sandby, he employed architect Henry Flitcroft (and probably hundreds of others) and the lake was completed in 1753. The result was the largest man-made body of water ever produced in Britain up to that time. In September 1768 the dam holding back the lake was washed away by a flood.

Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn, and brother to King George III, was appointed Park Ranger after William's death in 1765. However, no repairs took place until the early 1780s. More lands were acquired and Thomas Sandby (still Deputy Ranger) was instructed to design a new dam. Assisted by his brother Paul, Sandby's the resulting rock-work cascade was built 250 yards east of the previous one and at the southern most point of the lake. The result was a much larger man-made body of water and the lake we basically see today.

Thomas and Paul Sandby had a great influence on the layout of the Great Park. Thomas was Deputy Ranger of Windsor Great Park, and lived here, for over 50 years. His younger brother Paul lived with him some of this time. They were both founders of the Royal Academy and many of their paintings, sketches and etchings of the park and the local area are in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.

Through the years Virginia Water became a playground for the royals. For a while there was a Chinese theme. China Island, at the western end of the lake, had a China tea-house and was linked to the mainland by a Chinese bridge. A Chinese junk was used to go boating and on the north shore there was the Chinese Fishing Temple.

In the early 1750s Prince William had a folly built on Shrub's Hill and overlooking Virginia Water from the south. It was originally called the “new building” on Shrub's Hill, later became known as The Belvedere because of the great views of Virginia Water and the surrounding countryside, and finally Fort Belvedere.

The Belvedere was expanded by George IV and used as a royal summerhouse. Thirty one cannons were placed there, and on royal birthdays they would fire a salute and be answered by a miniature frigate based on the lake. Queen Victoria used Fort Belvedere as a tea-house for visits to the lake and opened it to the public in the 1880s. In 1930 George V gave the building to his son Prince Edward who expanded it and used it as his home. It was here the romance with Wallis Simpson and Edward started and blossomed. He succeeded to the throne on 20 January 1936, but it would be here, at Fort Belvedere, on 10 December the same year, he would sign his abdication notice. Today, Fort Belvedere is a private home on lease from the Crown Estate. Its grounds have long been cut off from the park by the A329, Blacknest Road, but there is still a tunnel linking Fort Belvedere to Virginia Water and the Great Park.

The path soon passes a tea-hut and continues along the south shore of the lake. Across the lake, after another a few hundred yards, is Temple Bungalow. It takes its name from the moated Chinese Fishing Temple of George IV which sat close-by from the 1820s to the early part of the 20th century.

In another 0.7 miles the past comes out to an opening with the lake a short distance to the left and old ruins away to the right.

The ruins are from Leptis Magna, a Roman city and port sited on the shores of the Mediterranean near Tripoli, in present day Lybia. The city was founded before the birth of Christ and flourished during the second and third centuries AD.

In 1816 the stones were gifted to the Prince Regent (later George IV) and shipped to England. They were initially kept in the courtyard at the British Museum, but were transported to Windsor Great Park by gun carriages between August and October 1826. Between June 1827 and March 1828 the antiquities were arranged by Sir Jeffry Wyatville, George IV's Architect, in the form of a ruined Roman Temple. Wyatville arranged the ruins in two rows divided by a driveway in the Great Park to the north of Blacknest Road, and placed the rest in a semi-circular formation, in the grounds of Fort Belvedere, to the south of the road. A tunnel under the road, joined both sets of ruins. It meant that George IV could travel in his carriage between the Great Park and Belvedere with privacy.

With time the ruins were neglected, Queen Victoria even had some of the columns lowered due to safety worries. Through the many decades which followed the ruins saw some vandalism and got overgrown by vegetation. In 2008 the Crown Estate agreed to restore the monument as to how it had been erected by Wyatvliffe. This was completed and the ruins were reopened to the public in May 2009.

To read more about how extortionate George IV was with the public purse and about the old Roman ruins visit the Virginia Water Community Wesbsite.

On the lake shore, to the left of the main path, is what remains of “The Fish Pond Head”. This marks the original eastern boundary of Virginia Water. It was first built here in 1753 by William, Duke of Cumberland as part of his ambitious landscaping project. It transformed the serpentine Virginia Brook into the largest man-made lake then in Britain. On the night of 1st September 1768 torrential rainfall caused the pond head to collapse, with tragic consequences for some local residents.

Across the lake, from here, is a small grass area and beach named Botany Bay Point. It most probably wasn't there originally as it is further east than The Fish Pond Head. More likely to have appeared when the the lake was enlarged in the late 1780s. As for the name, it probably has something to do with James Cook landing at Botany Bay in Australia in 1770, or with the penal colony started there in 1778.

It may seem ironic, or maybe it's not a coincidence, but as we pass the Roman remains we also cross somewhere close to what would have been the course of one of Britain's oldest Roman Roads. The road from London to Silchester was built shortly after the third and most successful Roman Invasion of Britain, which occurred in 43 AD. The first 18 miles of the road, from London to Ad Pontes (now Staines upon Thames) is known, as is the last 20 miles from Sunningdale to Silchester. However, no one is sure of the route between Staines and Sunningdale (about 6 miles). Romans tended to build straight roads, so it seems most likely the road passed through this area. Before the Roman ruins were erected here, there probably would have been more evidence of the course of the road. However with the landscaping of Virginia Water Lake and the grounds of Fort Belvedere this evidence would have been destroyed. So were the Roman ruins erected here for this reason? From the evidence currently available, I have plotted what was possibly the route of the old road, and you can see a map of this at the link.

Continue along the main path around the lake. After 100 yards the path divides in two, stay right.

The path to the left continues only a short distance to the top of the cascade. The main path curves to the right and away from the lake, soon steep downhill, with the A30 road to the right, and past the cascade to the left.

The Virginia Water Cascade was built to replace the original at pond head. It was completed in the late 1780s under the supervision of Thomas Sandby. He also built a grotto, but this is now blocked up. The cascade was remodeled in the early 19th century and again in the mid 20th century. The natural looking block structure creates an impressive waterfall as the outlet waters of the lake flow over it and continue under the A30 bridge and into the Wentworth Estate – probably best known as the headquarters of the Professional Golfers' Association European Tour.

A aerial video entitled "Virginia Water and Valley Gardens in Windsor Great Park - Filmed by Drone" has some great footage of  the cascade and can be watched by following the link to YouTube. You can also watch a short official video from Windsor Great Park entitled "The Cascade waterfall at Virginia Water lake, Windsor Great Park" below.

Follow the main path downhill, over a small bridge (at 8 miles), and as it climbs steeply back up to the lakeside. Turn right, keeping the lake to your left, and 250 yards further on is the Virginia Water Pavilion.

The Virginia Water Pavilion is a recent addition and was opened on 19 September 2013. It has a small restaurant, an information centre and an outside seating area with views over the lake.

This part of the lake which you are presently walking around would have been would have been part of the additional area added in the 1780s. The lake takes its name from the small stream which provided its water, the Virginia Brook, named after Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. During World War II the lake was drained so as not to provide German bombers with a pointer to attack Windsor Castle.

After 750 yards follow the main path as turns left over a causeway bridge between the lake and Wick Pond. Then go straight on to the Totem Pole.

According to the noticeboard next to the Totem Pole:

“This 100 foot high Totem Pole was erected here in 1958, to mark the centenary of the establishment of British Columbia as a Crown Colony. It was carved from a single 600 year old log of Western Red Cedar, taken from the forests of Haida Gwaii, which lies 500 miles (800km) to the north of Vancouver. A delegation of Kwakiutls, the original carvers, returned in July 1985 to refresh the paintwork.”

The Totem Pole's height of 100 feet represents a foot for every year of the founding of British Columbia. The carvings on it (from top to bottom): Man with large hat, Beaver, Old Man, Thunderbird, Sea Otter, The Raven, The Whale, Double headed Snake, Halibut Man and Cedar Man, Each carving represents a mythical ancestor of a clan of the Kwakitul, an North American Indian Tribe who lived along the shores of the waterways between Vancouver Island and mainland Canada.

From the Totem Pole turn left and enter The Valley Gardens. Go straight on, and gradually uphill, along a sandy path named “Canadian Avenue”.

The Valley Gardens cover an area of 250 acres. They are an area of landscaped gardens and woodland, twisting trails and pathways. According to Windsor Great Park website:

"Created by the shared vision of Sir Eric Savill and Hope Findlay, these 250 acres of undulating valleys were planted with exotic azaleas, magnolias and other blooms from all over the world. Our visitors love to wander through the remarkable maze of twisting woodland tracks and exotic scented blooms."

After another 700 yards past refreshments kiosk “CAFFE” to the right, then at a major junction of six paths turn right, signed Savill Garden 1 mile (soon past an entrance to The Valley Gardens Car Park to your LHS).

The path soon starts to descend and away to the left you can see some red-brick buildings at the famous Guards Pole Club at Smiths Lawn.

After half a mile at junction (Carter's Bar) go straight over onto a wide metaled path, signed Savill Garden ½ mile (now along Rhododendron Ride).

Soon to your left is Obelisk Pond. This was created by Thomas Sandby around the same time as Virginia Water.

As you follow the path around the pond a clearing with a refreshments kiosk is reached (at 10 miles). Stay right keeping the kiosk to your left.

Across the clearing and near the edge of the pond is the impressive obelisk from which the pond takes its name. An inscription on the obelisk reads:

“This Obelisk raised by command of King George II commemorates the services of his son William Duke of Cumberland the success of his arms and the gratitude of his father. This tablet was inscribed by His Majesty King William IV.”

An information panel nearby provides a is a little bit more information.

“This imposing monument was built in the early 1750s by King George II to honour the military successes of his son, William, Duke of Cumberland. Known to many less favourably as “Butcher Cumberland”, for his brutal treatment of the Scots at Culloden, the Duke was appointed Ranger of Windsor Great Park in 1746. Over the next 14 years he transformed the landscape, creating Virginia Water, commissioning many buildings and bridges and planting substantial collections of native and exotic trees.”

The Battle of Culloden took place on 16 April 1746, just a few miles east of Inverness. The loyalist army led by William, Duke of Cumberland defeated the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) in a bloody battle with huge losses on the Jacobite side. It was to be the last pitched battle fought on British soil.

Soon to the left is the Savill Building and behind it is the famous Savill Garden. If you turn around at this point and look back, you one of the best views of the Obelisk.

The Savill Garden was created by Sir Eric Savill in the 1930s. It covers 35 acres and has lots of different gardens within the garden. According to the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead:

“The Savill Garden is a place of constant discovery, and of interlocking gardens, containing distinctive areas such as Spring Wood, The Summer Wood, The Hidden Gardens, The Summer Gardens, The Glades, Autumn Wood, The Azalea Walks and The New Zealand Garden. The Savill Garden mixes native and exotic species and has bred many important garden hybrids. Each ‘garden within a garden’ has its own attractions, and the gardens are ever-changing with every season bringing new colour and interest to delight the visitor.

The Rose Garden takes a fresh and contemporary approach to displaying roses. The design creates an intense sensory experience with roses especially chosen for their scent, strong colours and repeat flowering. Visitors enjoy the perfume at its best, together with stunning views, from a walk way which appears to ‘float’ above the Rose Garden”

The Savill Building is really impressive and was opened by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh on 26 June 2006. This is a single cell space inspired by the strength and beauty of a seashell. The three-domed roof is made from larch and oak and the floor from oak. All wood used in construction was all harvested from the Crown Estate forests. The walls are of full-length glass offering great views over the gardens. There is a restaurant, exhibitions a shop and much more here. The toilets are really posh. The building is free to enter, but there is a charge for the garden.

To see the official video entitled, "Visiting The Savill Garden in spring, Windsor Great Park" visit this link at YouTube - I love the music to this.

Continue straight on past the Savill Building and soon after turn right through a gap onto a path / cycle-way along the northern edge of the Savill Gardens coach park and exit past the vehicle barrier onto a road (Wick Lane) . Turn left along Wick Lane and follow for 600 yards. Note: There is no pavement so please take care.

As you walk along Wick Lane, to the left, after 280 yards is Parkside House. It was at the house in 1956, that Marilyn Monroe spent her honeymoon and an extra four months with her new husband Arthur Miller whilst filming The Prince and the Showgirl with Laurence Olivier. The newly wedded couple were often seen cycling along here and through Windsor Great Park. At the time not many locals knew it was Marilyn, some told stories of seeing someone who looked just like her. See newspaper exclusive below dated 13th August 1956.

You can also see more photos of Marilyn Monroe, her husband Arthur Miller and her co-star for the movie below. They were all taken at Parkside House in Englefield Green or in Windsor Great Park. You can also see more of this at YouTube.

Just past what was The Sun Inn (closed July 2018), ignore Kings Lane to the right, and turn right up Prospect Lane, an unmade road. At its end, continue straight on through a wooden kissing-gate onto a footpath between hedges.

After 300 yards follow the enclosed path as it bends right, then left. Then 100 yards later left into a field. Follow the path diagonally across the field for 200 yards, then turn right onto path into the trees (at 11 miles).

After 230 yards the footpath leads out onto Northcroft Road. Cross over and turn left along the pavement. Follow Northcroft Road - it turns left, then right after 370 yards leads to Englefield Green.

Turn right and past the Barley Mow pub and finish 90 yards later at the T-junction of Englefield Green and St Judes Road (A328).

The parish of Englefield Green covers a large area. According to Chertsey Museum, it takes its name from "Inga's Feld". Inga meaning "people" and "Feld" was a large grassed area used as pastoral land by the community. The term probably dates back to a least Saxon Times. The name Green was added in the 17th Century. The village has three distinct areas: the north and west is made up of part of Windsor Great Park, large private manors, National Trust land at Coopers Hill and around the Runnymede memorials, plus sub-campus of Royal Holloway College and until recently Brunel University; the built-up southern area around the church, and in the middle is The Green surrounded by streets of desirable housing. Under the Egham Enclosure Act of 1814 much of the land was sold to private buyers who built large houses here because of the proximity of the Royal Family at Windsor. The Act also protected The Green which is Crown property and is leased to the Residents for the use of the community. The growth of the built-up area to the south was greatly influenced by the opening of Royal Holloway College in 1886.

In section 1 of this walk I mentioned the Egham Races. However, this all began on Englefield Green with horse racing between 1729 and 1733. In 1734 the meeting was moved to Runnymede and hence the start of the Egham Races. We'll be back at Runnymede in the next section of the walk and as a taster, below is a short "museum dramatisation" by Chertsey Museum entitled, "Egham Races". 

On a darker note, the last fatal duel in England took place on Priest Hill, Englefield Green on 19th October 1852. It was between two French refugees, Lt. Frederic Constant Cournet and Emmanuel Barthélemy. Cournet received a bullet wound, but Barthélemy was unhurt. Barthélemy returned to London by train, where, a crowd had gathered at Waterloo station to hear the result. Reportedly, bets were placed on the outcome. Courtnet was taking to the nearby Barley Mow pub, but died there later. He is buried at St Johns Church at Egham. Courtnet was said to be in agony when he died and it is claimed his ghost haunts the pub. Barthélemy was tried for murder but was acquitted. For the full story see Find A Grave.

There are bus stops just a few yards to the left and to the right. These have are regular bus services to Staines-upon-Thames, Windsor, Slough, Egham and Heathrow. See BusTimes for details Adjacent and Opposite.

© Sean Davis 2015 - 2022