Length: 17 km (10.6 miles)
Toughness: 2 out of 10 (slightly more when muddy)
London Waterloo: 10-09 hrs South Western service to Reading Clapham Junction 10-19 hrs
Arrive Sunningdale: 11-01
Return
Windsor & Eton Riverside: South Western service back to Waterloo at 01 mins past hour (a slow, stopping everywhere service) and 34 mins past the hour
You can return to London Paddington from Windsor Central Station, changing at Slough, for a shorter journey (in time) home
Rail ticket: you should purchase a day return to Windsor & Eton Riverside plus a single from Staines to Sunningdale
If returning from Windsor Central Station, you will need to buy separate singles for both legs of your journey today.
Your usual walk poster is away on the SWC Scottish trip, so I am standing in for him today, as a one-off.
The colourful azaleas in Valley Gardens might just be past their best but I am hoping there are still some in bloom for you to enjoy this part of the walk.
Today's pleasant outing starts in Sunningdale and takes you to Cowarth Park, with its polo pitches, then to the River Thames and the Virginia Water Lakes before you arrive at the entrance to Valley Gardens. Through these gardens lined with azaleas then down to the Totem Pole, before a final morning leg to Savill Gardens, where I suggest you stop for lunch at the Savill Garden Restaurant, a large cafeteria with a selection of light meals, hot dishes and Sunday roasts. There are good picnic spots nearby by Obelisk Pond.
After lunch, you walk along Rhododendron Drive to Cow Pond, with its water lilies, to then enter the Deer Park section of Windsor Great Park. You have a choice of routes before embarking along the Long Walk - see the Walk Directions.
On entering Windsor you have a choice of stops for post-walk refreshments. I like the Cinnamon Cafe in the former Windsor Royal Station precinct, but the Boatman pub on the River Thames is also popular with SWC walkers, particularly if it is a nice day and you can sit outdoors.
T=1.18
Walk Directions are here: L=1.18
1 comment:
n=7 of us alighted from the train at Sunningdale railway station for today's walk to Windsor. The morning was w=sunny-and-warm-becoming-overcast-later; in fact near ideal walking conditions, as a gentle breeze kept us refreshed. No mud to speak of, as our route took us through green, lush parkland and woods.
Valley Gardens did not disappoint. Once fully in the gardens there were some magnificent, colourful displays of azaleas - and the rhododendrons were pretty good as well. On reaching Savill Gardens three of us decided to have lunch in the cafeteria, whilst the others enjoyed their picnics near Obelisk pond. The cafeteria was busy and our diners had to queue for a table , then wait quite a while for meals to arrive - but the staff were pleasant and the meals were good - so not an unpleasant experience. One of the picnickers waited patiently for the diners whilst the other three picnickers headed off on the afternoon leg of the walk, some 40 minutes before the rest of us, not to be seen again - I hope they enjoyed their afternoon.
We did not see any deer in the Deer Park - unusual - just one muntjac in the morning. Per usual, the Long Walk went on forever but eventually we arrived below Windsor Castle, then on into town. Although we were a small group of four we managed to split up, with one or two heading for Windsor Central railway station, whilst I headed for the Riverside station to catch the 16-34 hrs service to Waterloo. Trains were on time today but busy in both directions, mainly due to a rugby game being played at Twickers.
A nice way to spend a Sunday in May.
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