WONDERFUL WINDSOR

When choosing a destination for a day visit from London, which criteria would you be looking for? Easily accessible and affordable by train? An overall area that's walkable? A host of decent restaurants that serve varied cuisine? A riverside walk? Some history and an old town? Green spaces in contrast to the urban environment you've left behind? If all of these appeal, then Royal Windsor in the home county of Berkshire will fit the bill!

A mere half an hour from London Paddington (changing at Slough), Windsor and Eton station delivers passengers right into the heart of the action. An obvious first port of call is Windsor Castle, the royal residence of King Charles. The castle wasn't open to the public on the day we visited, however we could still see plenty of this grand old fortification that dates back to the eleventh century and is the largest occupied castle in the world! Windsor is very well signposted in terms of the main points of interest and a short walk along the castle grounds' southern flank led us to Windsor Great Park and the 'Long Walk'. Fortunately, as it was a week day, there weren't a massive number of visitors congesting the two and a half mile, tree lined avenue that stretches from the gates of the castle to Snow Hill, atop of which sits the splendid statue of the Copper Horse ridden by King George III. We didn't make it as far as the hill, but completed two thirds of the journey before deciding that, on humid day, our energy needed to be conserved for the rest of the day. 

The walk back ensured the step count breached ten thousand as we headed for the town centre and lunch. The high street has a mixture of well known retain chains, locally owned bakeries, pubs and restaurants. We'd researched our choice beforehand and among the plethora of eateries available, elected for Meimos, a traditional Moroccan restaurant. The lunchtime deal caught our eye, with kofte kebabs and lamb meatball tangine ordered. While the service was excellent, the welcome warm and the food being nice, the value wasn't outstanding. This left avid connoisseurs like us slightly disappointed. 

After lunch we ambled our way back through the high street and down past some quaint little shops opposite the castle, of which The Fudge Kitchen and Dr Choc's Chocolate Factory aroused our intrigue before we arrived at the banks of the Thames. The humidity and sultry clouds by now had given way to some glorious sunshine that set us up perfectly for a boat ride! Unsurprisingly there are a number of options and operators present to capitalise on the tourists from all corners of the globe, offering everything from hire and navigate yourself four seaters, to much larger vessels capable of carrying over a hundred voyagers. The French Brothers chartered forty minute round boat trip allowed us the opportunity to sit back, enjoy the informative commentary and view the castle, Windsor Racecourse, Eton Collage and the surrounding meadows from the river whilst revelling in the sunshine, and all at an excellent value of twelve pounds each!

Once we'd alighted, a gentle stroll along the river, during which we were greeted by a huge flock of swans (they were even more enthusiastic in their overtures for those who fed them!), led us to Windsor Bridge, the pedestrians gateway to Eton. From here, the strangely yet pleasantly quiet high street took us past well maintained olde worlde pubs, antique shops, cafes and independent stores to the famous Eton College and its various school buildings. Pottering back the way we came, a pit stop was made at The Boatman pub for a drink and a spot of people watching of those who passed us in their boats, in the late early evening on the banks of the Thames prior to making our way back to the station, which was a fitting way to end our day as the sun went down on the day and our outing.

While we feel like packed plenty into our sojourn, a potential return to the races, entry to the castle or further exploration of Eton is something we know would be both rewarding and easy to do.