Afternoon All

Our walk on an unexpectedly sunny Sunday started in the National Trust car park at Runnymede near Old Windsor. In the adjoining water meadows we passed a couple of sculptures, one made of willow saplings and twigs, the other consisting of 12 Bronze chairs known as the Jurors and erected to mark 800 years of change since the signing of the Magna Carta by King John in 1215. We then passed by the memorial erected to commemorate the assassination of JF Kennedy on a piece of land donated to the USA by Queen Elizabeth II in 1965.

Our circular walk around Windsor Great Park started and finished at Bishopsgate. We followed well laid out footpaths for several miles passing by the Saville Gardens, a Christmas Merry Go Round, the Valley Gardens, an Obelisk erected in honour of the Duke of Cumberland, William Augustus - son of King George II and a 100 ft high totem pole donated by the people of Canada to mark the Centenary of British Columbia. The walk continued past the wooded shores of Virginia Water Lake. Thereafter we walked on tree lined bridlepaths until we reached Dukes Lane on the south westerly corner of the Park. We headed northwards passing the Royal School where on the right we could see Cumberland Lodge, now a conference venue and historically the home to the Rangers of the Great Park the latest of whom is King Charles III. We ascended Snow Hill and reached the Copper Horse, a statue erected to commemorate the life of King George III, and from its base we were able to look down the tree lined Long Walk to Windsor Castle. As we left the park we were greeted by a couple of antlered deer gently cropping the grass and bracken near our exit from the Park.

Returning to the NT Car Park at Runnymede we then headed to the Harvester at the Bells Of Ouzeley in Old Windsor for a late lunch and their Christmas menu!

Thanks to all those who took part in the walk. It was a little longer than we had originally planned but I hope you all enjoyed it.

Happy Walking

Simon and Vas

Joint coordinators.