Length: 17 km (10.6 miles)
Toughness: 2 out of 10
London Waterloo: 09-50 hrs South Western service to Reading Clapham Junction 09-58 hrs
Arrive Sunningdale: 10-38 hrs
Return
Windsor & Eton Riverside to Waterloo: 23 & 53 mins past the hour
Windsor & Eton Central to Paddington, changing at Slough: 06, 26 & 46 mins past the hour
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Windsor & Eton Riverside plus a single from Staines to Sunningdale.
If returning from Windsor Central (a shorter journey) you will need separate single tickets today.
Four of us enjoyed this walk just after Christmas last year, but the best time to attempt this walk is now - for the colourful display of azaleas and rhododendrons in Valley Gardens and Savill Gardens. Having just had your bluebell fix, you should enjoy the azaleas which should be close to their colourful best. Some Saturday walkers are a bit "sniffy" about this walk, suggesting it is not a proper country walk but a parkland walk. Sniff away - it really doesn't matter, as from the start in Sunningdale to the finish in Windsor, it is a delight, and most who force themselves to give it a go are pleasantly surprised at how nice a walk it is.
Leaving Sunningdale we have a bit of road walking before entering Cowarth Park - with its polo pitches. On then to Virginia Water lake and over its impressive five arch stone bridge as we head along a woodland path beside the River Thames then along grassy field edges before entering Valley Gardens, to enjoy its flower displays. We head down to the Totem Pole then over to Obelisk Pond ( picnickers stop here) . Lunch can be taken nearby in the Savill Garden Restaurant, a spacious, comfortable cafeteria, with indoor and outdoor seating, plus gift shop.
After lunch we walk down Rhododendron Drive to Cow Pond, then over to the entrance to Windsor Great Park's Deer Park. The onward routes (you have choice - see the Directions) take you to the Long Walk - an arrow straight surfaced way which ends below Windsor Castle. The town is likely to be busy with its preparations for Her Majesty the Queen's coming celebrations. For tea try the Cinnamon Cafe in the former Windsor Royal Station precinct. For an alcoholic drink, The Boatman pub overlooking the River Thames should suit you well.
T=1.18
Walk Directions are here: L=1.18
1 comment:
Just n=9 of us today, including one first timer - I hope she enjoyed her first day's walking with the SWC.
As for the weather, it was w=overcast-and-slightly-humid-in-the-morning-turning-to-sunny-as-we-walked-the-Long-Walk.
The rhododendrons were splendid in Virginia Water, as they were everywhere else on the walk today. But the azaleas were disappointing - two plus weeks past their best in Valley Gardens. Note to self - post this walk next year by week two of May (just after the bluebells).
Four of us dined at the Savill Gardens cafeteria - excellent, friendly service, and prompt arrival of meals, albeit of iffy quality. No matter - it made for an enjoyable lunch stop. All but one of the sandwichers waited patiently for the diners to finish their lunches, so we set off as an eightsome post prandial.
The rhodos alongside Rhododendron Drive were colourful, and the water lilies in Cow Pond were coming on nicely.
On entering Windsor Deer Park; for the first time ever (in my experience on this walk) there was not one sighting of bambi - the nearest we came to it all day was the venison sausages I purchased in the Savill Gardens shop.
The Long walk went on forever, per usual , but eventually we arrived below Windsor Castle. We thought better of scrounging tea from Her Madge as one in our group was a French Republican, so instead we headed into town - very busy per usual with tourists. Five of us stopped for tea and cake at the Cinnamon Cafe in the Windsor Royal Station precinct, whilst the other three made for The Boatman pub on the river.
It was the 16-22 hrs service from the Riverside station for the Cinnamons, whilst I expect the Boatmen caught the train thirty minutes later.
I only knew one of my eight companions today from previous SWC walks but I have to say I had a most enjoyable day in their company - thank you. And hopefully the day for the others wasn't too shabby.
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