The Cascade, Virginia Water Lake, Windsor Great Park.

Visitor updates

As an operational Estate, it is sometimes necessary to close parts of Windsor Great Park. Please check the updates below before you travel and, if you are unfamiliar with Windsor Great Park, download the Park map & guide.

Closures which can occasionally happen on the day are communicated on our Social Media channels. If you are not already following us, you can do so here:

Windsor Great Park map & guide

Before you visit, download or bookmark the Windsor Great Park map & guide.

Facility closures

Severe weather closures – Monday 15 April

The Met Office has issued a yellow severe weather warning for Monday 15 April.

In light of this and following our severe weather procedures, we have taken the decision to close the following facilities on Monday 15 April:

Car parks

Virginia Water South car park
Wick Road car park
Ranger’s Gate car park
Cranbourne Gate car park

Attractions

Adventure Play
The Queen Elizabeth Temperate House in The Savill Garden

If you have pre-booked tickets for Adventure Play, we will be contacting you separately.

Footpaths

The south side of Virginia Water Lake. During this time there is no access between Virginia Water car park and Blacknest Gate along the south side of the lake

Pedestrian gates

Wick Lane corner gate
Virginia Water plantation gate
Blay’s Lane gate
Cheeseman’s gate

The following remain open:

The Savill Garden
The Savill Garden Visitor Centre including Gift Shop, Savill Garden Kitchen, and facilities
The Savill Garden car park
Virginia Water car park

Please take extra care when visiting Windsor Great Park, stick to the designated paths and observe any signs in place.

An assessment will be made on Tuesday 16 April and further updates will be available here.

The Savill Garden

Areas of The Savill Garden are closed due to the wet ground conditions and to facilitate short term works being carried out in the Gardens.

During this time the Golden Jubilee Garden is closed. All footpaths in Summer Wood are open, with lawns closed to allow for ground recovery.

All spring displays are accessible, with the main highlights to be found Spring Wood, The Savill Garden meadows, and Winter Garden.

Valley Gardens – Main Valley

Please be aware that the lawn area of the Main Valley in the Valleys Gardens is closed for essential forestry works.

During this time there is no access between the Plunket Memorial and Virginia Water Lake along the lawns of the Main Valley. Footpaths leading to the Main Valley are also closed.

The footpaths surrounding the Plunket Memorial and the north side of the lake remain open.

Picnic Field car park

Due to the wet ground conditions, the Picnic Field car park will be closed on weekdays until further notice.

The car park remains open on weekends.

Deer Park

For operational reasons, please be aware that on Tuesdays throughout autumn and winter, the Deer Park will not open until 9.30am at the latest.

Queen Anne’s Ride and Deep Strood

During the winter, ground conditions in some areas of Windsor Great Park can become extremely wet and boggy.

To protect the historic landscape of the Windsor Estate, some areas of Windsor Great Park are closed until spring. This includes:

Queen Anne’s Ride
Deep Strood

Other areas of Windsor Great Park may also be closed but not listed here. Please observe the signs and fencing that will be in place across all areas of Windsor Great Park.

Roadworks

Restricted access to The Savill Garden and Adventure Play car park

There are no reported roadworks at this time. Please always check here before you leave home.

Virginia Water Café Terrace closure – 4 March 2024

The outdoor seating terrace for the Virgnia Water Café will be closed from Monday 4 March 2024 for essential maintenance work.

The terrace will re-open on Saturday 16 March 2024.

Limited outdoor seating will be available outside the exit of the Virginia Water Café, beside the Virginia Water Pavilion dog terrace.

Seating remains available inside Virginia Water Café, however on busy days you may wish to plan ahead and a full list of our food & drink options in Windsor Great Park can be found here.

Operational works

Crowthorne Forest and Bracknell Road

Forestry operations

Throughout February and March, the Forestry Team will be undertaking timber harvesting works in Crowthorne Forest. This is part of our ongoing forest management across the Windsor Estate which is in line with our long-term forest plan. The Forests are managed to balance economic, social, and environmental objectives and routine forest management in the form of harvesting, planting and habitat management contribute towards these objectives.

Conifer woodlands generally receive a harvesting intervention every 5-7 years. This is in the form of thinning (where 20-30% of the trees are removed from a woodland to allow the remaining trees more room to grow) or clear felling, where mature trees are felled to allow for replanting to take place. This rotation can be around 70 years in conifer woodlands.

Crowthorne is generally a young forest with lots of areas regenerating following the forest fire in 2011. Over the coming weeks we will be focusing on thinning some of the middle and mature-aged plantations. The timber harvested will be used in construction, fencing and landscape materials, animal bedding and biomass. Because our woodlands are continually growing and are replanted following felling it makes these wood products completely sustainable.

Wildlife habitats

This cyclical management also ensures that there is a wide range of habitats available in the Forest. There are species in Crowthorne that depend on different stages of woodland cover and our management aims to ensure that there is continuity of availability of all habitat types.

Ground nesting birds such as Woodlark, Nightjar and Dartford Warbler will use the felled areas and the young plantations, as will reptiles and insects. Young crops provide thicket conditions and provide cover for other nesting bird species and mammals. Mature trees provide roosting habitats, and an element of decaying wood will provide habitats for invertebrates. Following the fire in 2011 a network of ponds and wetlands were created throughout the Forest which are great habitats for dragonflies, amphibians, and reptiles.

Bracknell Road

Along with routine forest management activities, we will also be felling trees alongside Bracknell Road. These trees are in poor condition and are beginning to pose a risk to motorists using this busy stretch of road. They are also encroaching into the overhead powerlines running just inside the woodland causing damage to the network and regular power outages to nearby properties.

Working with SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy) and Bracknell Forest Council a road closure has been put in place to allow this work to be undertaken safely. We appreciate that this will cause disruption in the short term, but the work will bring longer term benefits in terms of road safety and improved energy supply.

Long term plans

Once the trees have been removed, the aim is to plant a new hedge in their place that can be managed for biodiversity benefits without compromising road and energy infrastructure.

We appreciate your patience while this work is being undertaken and ask that you follow signs and directions from operators as they are there to ensure your safety on the worksite.

Winter business hours: 29 October – 15 November 2023

The Savill Garden, Visitor Centre and Gift Shops

The Savill Garden

9am – 5pm (last admission to the Garden is at 4pm)

The Savill Garden Gift Shop & Plant Centre

9am – 5pm

Virginia Water Gift Shop

8.30am – 4pm

Food & drink

The Savill Garden Kitchen

Monday – Friday

Lunch: 11.30am – 3.30pm
Drinks & Desserts only: 3.30pm – 4pm
The kitchen closes at: 4.30pm

Saturday – Sunday & Bank Holidays

Breakfast: 9am – 11.30am
Pizza only: 11.30am – 12pm
Lunch: 12pm – 3..30pm
Drinks & Desserts only: 3.30pm – 4pm
The kitchen closes at: 4.30pm

The Gallery Café

9am – 5pm

Virginia Water Café

8.30am – 4pm (last orders at 3.40pm)

Takeaway facilities

The Potting Shed

Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm
Saturday – Sunday & Bank Holidays: 8.30am – 5pm

Obelisk Lawn

8.30am – 4pm

Virginia Water Lake

8.30am – 4.15pm

Blacknest Gate

9am – 4.15pm

The Totem Pole

Weekends and school holidays only: 10.30am – 4pm

The Valley Gardens

9am – 4pm

Obelisk Lawn Toddler play closure – 19 February 2024

The toddler play area on Obelisk Lawn will be closed on Monday 19 February 2024 for essential maintenance.

The area will re-open on Tuesday 20 February 2024.

Car Park closures

Stag Meadow car park will be closed from the morning of Monday 25 March until the evening of Wednesday 27 March 2024 for operational reasons.

Deer rutting season

During the deer rutting season, please be reminded of the following guidance when visiting the Deer Park to keep yourself, others and the deer safe.

Dogs must be kept on a short lead and under close control at all times
Do not approach or follow the deer
Keep your distance – binoculars or a long range lens are essential
Follow any signs and the directions given by the team

In the unlikely event that you are threatened, back away slowly and try to put a barrier, such as a tree, between yourself and the animal.

Remember, deer are wild animals and we ask you to be respectful of them.

Please be aware of a temporary closure on the National Cycle Route Network 4 inside Stag Meadow for essential maintenance.

The area of the closure is small. When cycling along the route, cyclists should dismount and walk the few steps around the closure.

Obelisk Pond footpath closure – 30 Oct – 15 Nov

From Monday 30 October to the evening of Wednesday 15 November, the highlighted footpath around Obelisk Pond will be closed to allow for the installation of Windsor Great Park Illuminated.

During this time there will be increased vehicle movement around Obelisk Pond.

For your safety and the safety of others, please take due care when visiting the area and follow any signage and directions from the Windsor Great Park and Windsor Great Park Illuminated teams.

The footpath will re-open from Thursday 16 November.