Information
Landmark: Windsor Great ParkCity: Windsor
Country: United Kingdom
Continent: Europe
Windsor Great Park, Windsor, United Kingdom, Europe
Overview
Windsor Great Park sprawls across Berkshire, England, wrapping around Windsor Castle with centuries of history and wide green lawns dotted with ancient oaks.Spanning about 5,000 acres, it’s served for centuries as both a royal hunting ground and a place to stroll under ancient oaks.The park blends shady woodlands, open grasslands, and carefully tended gardens, making it one of the area’s most treasured green spaces-rich with history and alive with today’s visitors.Let’s take a closer look at Windsor Great Park, whose roots stretch back to the 13th century, when King Henry I first set it aside as a royal hunting ground, its open fields once echoing with the thud of hooves.For centuries, English monarchs used it mainly to hunt deer and other game, the thud of hooves echoing across the parkland.Over time, the grounds grew-especially under King Charles I, who left his mark with sweeping expansions and bold improvements.Later, Queen Victoria helped shape its future, turning stretches of the park into neat rows of formal gardens edged with bright flowerbeds.Like Windsor Castle, Windsor Great Park has spent most of its life under the care and ownership of the British royal family.Today, it’s still part of the Crown Estate, and the park remains closely tied to the royal family.One standout feature is the Long Walk-a 2.64-mile tree-lined avenue that runs from the Copper Horse, King George III’s bronze statue perched on Snow Hill, straight toward Windsor Castle.From here, you can take in sweeping views of the castle and the rolling green hills beyond.The Long Walk draws crowds of walkers, joggers, and riders, especially when the gravel crunches underfoot on a sunny afternoon.Savill Garden, tucked inside Windsor Great Park, is a world‑famous showcase of ornamental blooms, where bright petals spill over winding paths.Covering 35 acres, it offers a mix of landscaped spaces-wildflower meadows buzzing with bees, shady woods, and neatly kept formal gardens.Back in the 1930s, Sir Eric Savill-once head gardener at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew-designed the garden, and over time it’s flourished into one of the park’s main draws, with winding paths shaded by old oaks.Virginia Water Lake sits in the southern stretch of Windsor Great Park, a broad, man-made expanse where the water ripples softly against the shore.George II built it in the 18th century, and today people stroll its shaded paths, row across the calm water, and watch herons glide overhead.Tall pines ring the lake, their shadows rippling on the water, and along the shore you’ll find the Totem Pole-Canada’s gift-and the Obelisk, a monument shaped in the style of ancient Egypt.In Windsor Great Park’s Deer Park, a herd of deer wanders freely, their hooves whispering over the grass in certain parts of the grounds.The Deer Park is among the park’s oldest corners, offering a clear glimpse of its past as a hunting ground where hooves once stirred the fallen leaves.Visitors often spot the herds grazing in the tall grass, then drifting lazily between the shade of the trees.At the northern tip of the Long Walk, near Snow Hill, the Copper Horse rises-a bronze statue of King George III on horseback, glinting in the sun.Built in 1831, it stands at the gateway to Windsor Great Park, where gravel crunches underfoot as you pass through.From the statue, the park stretches out in a postcard-perfect scene, and far beyond the trees, Windsor Castle rises faintly against the sky.Tucked into the park’s southeastern corner, the Royal Lodge has long served as a home for the royal family-once for the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and in recent years for Prince Andrew.The lodge isn’t open to visitors, but standing just outside, you can catch a rare view of the park that hints at royal life.Windsor Great Park teems with wildlife, making it a vital haven for the area’s delicate ecosystem.Beyond its well-known deer herds, the park teems with life-bright-feathered birds, quick foxes, chattering squirrels, and even tiny insects buzzing in the grass.The park’s mix of woodlands, wetlands, and open meadows shelters everything from frogs to wildflowers, making it an important place for conservation.The park’s home to a range of habitats for migratory birds, especially near Virginia Water, where reeds rustle along the shore of a lake recognized as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its rich biodiversity.Windsor Great Park draws crowds for walking, cycling, and horse riding along miles of winding trails, and you can rent a rowing or pedal boat to drift across the calm waters of Virginia Water.Throughout the year, the park comes alive with open-air concerts, lively festivals, and friendly community gatherings.It’s also a popular spot for royal celebrations, from glittering banquets to garden parties.The park welcomes visitors year-round and is easy to reach from Windsor or the nearby towns.You can enter for free, and several marked car parks sit within the park, ready for visitors.If you’re heading to Savill Garden, step into the Savill Building-it’s home to a bright exhibition space, a cosy café with the smell of fresh coffee, and a well-stocked shop.The building acts as the garden’s visitor center, a welcoming spot where you can explore the park’s history and ecology-maybe pause to study an old map on display.No matter the season, there’s something to enjoy: spring bursts with blossoms, summer invites slow strolls, autumn blazes with color, and winter rests under a quiet blanket of snow.Windsor Great Park also holds a long, storied bond with the British royal family.For centuries, the park has been where royalty came to unwind, chase game through the woods, and enjoy quiet afternoons by the lake.The park’s landmarks-like the Long Walk lined with ancient oaks and the shimmering waters of Virginia Water-have hosted countless royal occasions, from the Queen’s jubilees to other grand celebrations.The Royal Family also stops by the park now and then, strolling its quiet paths to unwind and enjoy themselves.Windsor Great Park isn’t only a stretch of rolling green and quiet woods-it’s a place steeped in royal history, where centuries-old oaks have watched monarchs come and go.Centuries of history mingle with wide-open fields, still blue lakes, and striking old buildings, creating a rare mix of heritage, natural beauty, and ways to relax.You might stroll down the Long Walk under the sway of ancient oaks, wander through the vibrant blooms of Savill Garden, or pause to watch deer graze in the open fields-Windsor Great Park brims with experiences for both visitors and locals.
