Valley Gardens
Windsor Great Park
Children will enjoy the play area, totem pole and lake on this walk.
Obelisk Pond
The Basics
Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Distance: 4.5 km / 2.8 miles
Terrain: Firm, well maintained paths with one short steep incline.
Pushchair: This route is pushchair friendly.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome, but must be on leads in The Valley Gardens.
Refreshments: Savill Garden Kitchen, Café in the Park kiosk beside the obelisk and at the top of Valley Gardens.
Toilets: There are toilets at Savill Garden or at the top of Valley Gardens near the snack kiosk.
Public Transport: The White Bus 01 service runs between Windsor High Street and Ascot Train Station, stopping at The Great Park on Mondays to Saturdays.
Parking: Savill Garden Car Park, 7am - 6pm, £6.20 for 1-2 hours, £9.60 for 2-3 hours, pay on exit. You can redeem your parking cost if you book Adventure Play or visit the Savill Garden (Postcode: TW20 0UJ - W3W: ///lodge.hidden.vote)
The small, free play area
There are probably hundreds of different walks you could take in Windsor Great Park given that it stretches for 4,800 acres. You will find woodland, parkland, lakes, gardens, roman ruins, a waterfall, views, long grassy rides, cafes, kiosks, picnic areas and play areas. This route starts from The Savill Garden and passes Obelix lawn and pond, the totem pole, Virginia Water and the splendid Valley Gardens.
The Route
Note: The Savill Garden and Adventure Play require an entrance fee. Everything else mentioned on this walk is free.
Facing the entrance to The Savill Garden, turn left and head along the path into the park. You will soon see the outstanding Adventure Play behind the hedge on your right (advanced booking is recommended if you want to experience this). Continue past Obelisk Lawn to you right and walk with Obelisk Pond to your right also. As you head down the hill, you will pass a small, but free play area. Continue straight when you reach the end of Obelisk Pond and then in about 200 metres, you will come to a junction of a number of paths with a grassy triangle in the middle.
Take the second path on your left, following the sign to the totem pole. Pass by the totem pole to your right and a few metres beyond it, you will see the water of Wick Pond to your left and Virginia Water to your right.
Just before the water, turn right where there are two large bins inside a wooden casing and walk with Virginia Water behind the bushes to your left. As you walk along this path, you will enter Valley Gardens and dogs should go on leads. Look out for a little path on your left where you can make a brief diversion to Botany Bay Point where there is a seating area and views over the lake to the Leptis Magna Ruins. Back on the path, continue straight and look out for the camellia gardens and The Punchbowl, which are worth little diversions to explore when the plants are in flower.
Look out for a long grassy lawn on your right that leads to the Plunket Memorial with its two white pillars. Immediately after this, you should see a section of metal fence with a sign on stating ‘no cycling' and dog’s must be on leads’, and just beyond that, a bench looking out over the water. At this point, fork right into The Beeches, away from the lakeside path . Walk up the hill through the beech trees and veer left at the top, keeping left when the path then becomes grassy (those with pushchairs may prefer to stay on the lakeside path a little longer and turn right up the next surfaced path instead, and then turn right again)
Walk down the lawn and cross over the little humpback bridge next to a giant blue dragonfly. Go up the steps on the other side and then turn right when you reach the compacted gravel path. The wooded valleys to your left are covered in daffodils in March. Continue along the path as it bears left and climbs up hill.
At the top of the hill, bear right and you will come to a junction with multiple paths. Take the one signposted ‘Savill Garden one mile’. Keep the snack kiosk and toilets to your left and continue straight. The path will lead you to the junction from step two of this walk, where you should go straight ahead to retrace your steps back to the car park.
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Did you know?
Stretching as far as Windsor Castle in the East, Windsor Great Park is a royal estate which has been enjoyed by many monarchs over the centuries from William The Conqueror’s Royal Hunting Ground to The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh’s stewardship as Ranger of Great Windsor Park for nearly 70 years.
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