Windsor region hosts a fantastic line-up of festivals this year

Posted: Sat 9 February 2019 at 13:30

There’s a lot to love about living in or visiting Windsor and its fantastic line-up of annual festivals is one of them. Here, we take a look at some of the best festivals in the area to enjoy with family and friends throughout 2019.

Let’s Rock the Moor

This 80s music festival is great fun for all the family and takes place in May each year. Now on its 11th year, Let’s Rock the Moor offers a great line-up of acts and welcomes the whole family to enjoy a musical day out in Cookham.

Maidenhead Festival

The second of the festivals coming our way this year is Maidenhead Festival. Held over the weekend of 20-21st July, this free festival is touting itself as ‘THE place to be this summer’.

The best thing about this community festival is its family friendly atmosphere. There will be plenty for the kids to get up to, including side shows, stall, fairground rides and a beach to play in. For adults there’s fantastic food and drink and live music and entertainment throughout the weekend. Most of the fun takes place at Kidwells Park but events pop up all over the town.

Festival of Food and Wine at Ascot Racecourse

Come September 2019, anyone visiting Windsor can pop along to the world-famous Ascot racecourse for a racing weekend with a difference. This four-day event takes over the racecourse transforming it into a treat for the tastebuds, as well as for anyone who enjoys a great glass of wine. There will be over 100 stalls selling food from all over the globe for racegoers to enjoy. What’s not to like about that?

Windsor Festival

This autumn festival promises to be as popular as ever this year. With events taking place all over Windsor, making the most of our spectacular venues, such as Windsor Castle, the Guildhall and the Old Court Arts Centre, there should be something for everyone during event.

Events tend to take many forms, including guided tours, open houses, talks and exhibitions, with representatives from many areas of the arts coming along and sharing their thoughts, perspectives and experiences over the fortnight.

Windsor Fringe festival and the Spring Leap are both linked to the main windsor festival but take place at other times of the year. They both offer an eclectic programme of arts events in and around the town.

Cliveden Literary Festival

The people of Windsor love Cliveden which is both a National Trust property and a country house hotel. Once a year, at the end of September, it plays host to a popular literary festival, which prides itself on being fun and accessible, as well as appealing to hardcore literary fans from all over the country.

The Royal Borough suggests the best proposal locations around Windsor

Posted: Sat 2 February 2019 at 14:16

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has released a list of the best places to propose across the region.

The official Royal Borough blog writers have been hard at work researching some of the most enchanting and romantic places to pop the question, and they have come up with a list of 12 locations, corresponding to the 12 months of the year.

If you’re looking for a sheltered place to propose around Valentine’s Day, when – let’s face it, it might be rather rainy, the blog suggests the Sounding Arch at Maidenhead Railway Bridge. The bridge was designed by none other than Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the Sounding Arch is named for the amazing echoes heard underneath it.

As we move towards spring, the suggestion for May is the Punch Bowl at the Valley Gardens in the Great Park. The blog states: “The Gardens are at their height of colour and interest in April and May with an unrivalled display of rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias.”

If you’re looking for a the ultimate romantic activity during which to pop the questions, the blog suggests a carriage ride around the Great Park in August. Windsor Carriages operates horse drawn carriage rides around the Great Park throughout the high season.

Check out the rest of the blog for the other inspirational suggestions.

Visiting the UK: Top British Touring Itineraries

Posted: Tue 29 January 2019 at 13:02

There is no end to the sightseeing opportunities when visiting the UK – so where do you begin? We’ve put together a list of the top touring itineraries to help you get the very most of your trip.

The Best of the West Country

England’s south-western corner is affectionately known as the ‘West Country’ and is famous for its coast and its warm weather – as well as local delicacies such as cider, fudge and Cream Teas.

Start your trip at Land’s End – at the far tip of Cornwall, perhaps visiting the beautiful artsy town of St Ives on your way North. The Cornish coast is awe-inspiring and the countryside is majestic, dotted with abandoned tin mines. Another Cornish must-see is the rugged beauty of Bodmin Moor, where Daphne DuMaurier set her famous smuggling novel, Jamaica Inn. You can visit the Inn itself and even stay the night – if you’re brave enough!

Continue your tour through Devon, taking in the wonderful coastal towns along the way, many of which offer a traditional English seaside experience, as well as a more modern take on British beach holidays. Dartmouth and Lynton and Lynmouth are all great options, the latter of which has a fabulous cliff railway offering stunning coastal views.

While in Devon, you might want to try the famous Cream Tea. Both Cornwall and Devon lay claim to having invented the tea comprising scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam. To this day, they will argue over whether the jam or the cream should come first.

Somerset is the next port of call on your itinerary, but you can include Dorset if you have time – it is, afterall, another stunning county with wonderful cliff-top walks and fabulous towns such as Weymouth and Lyme Regis. In Somerset you must visit the iconic Georgian town of Bath to take in some of the most jaw-dropping period architecture in Britain. Then move onto the vibrant dockside city of Bristol, with world-class culture and an incredible music and arts scene.

London and the Home Counties

No trip to the UK would be complete without visiting London – one of the most culturally significant, historically important and cutting edge cities in the world. Take in the South Bank for an exciting walk alongside the Thames; visit the East End where old and new rub alongside each other creating an exciting atmosphere; and walk through the Square Mile, which positively drips with a sense of history and importance.

Once you’ve had enough of the Big Smoke, it’s time to take in some of its surrounding locations, such as royal Windsor, the home of the Queen’s favourite residence, Windsor Castle. Staying in Windsor is a great option as it’s well located for tours around Berkshire. Oxfordshire, Greater London and Surrey.

Windsor is surrounded in beautiful parkland and countryside, not to mention the Thames meandering it’s way through the town and towards the higher ground at Oxford. A visit to Oxford is another must for anyone wishing to experience the very best of British history. The University of Oxford is still very much the centre of everything that takes place in this great city and you can’t move for atmospheric, beautifully maintained buildings, bright young things and traditional English pubs with roaring fires. In the summer, there is riverside dining and punting at Cherwell and Thameside walks at Iffley and Binsey.

To top off your London and Home Counties itinerary, why not take in the countryside of South Oxfordshire and the cobbled streets of Henley-on-Thames for a taste of a quintessential market town in action. This buzzy, high-brow little place hosts the annual Royal Regatta, where world-class rowers battle it out to race down the Thames while onlookers sip champagne under weeping willows.

Northern highlights

To enjoy the very best of Northern England and Scotland you’ll need to cover some serious ground. Fast trains run throughout this region and it’s easy to hop from Manchester or Liverpool to Glasgow or Edinburgh within a day.

Despite being relatively closely located, Manchester and Liverpool are very different cities. Liverpool is extremely quirky and, in a similar way to Bristol, has its routes around the docks and attracts a creative itinerant crowd. Music rusn through Liverpool’s veins and you can still visit the Cavern Club and listen to live bands playing all day every day in the pubs and clubs around the centre.

Manchester is far more urban and polished. While being a very well-turned out city, it also has incredible independent businesses, cafes, restaurants, shops and studios. Make sure you take in the canal area and the Northern Quarter, with its vibrant bar scene and quirky shopping.

As you move North, either by road or by rail, you’ll notice the landscape changing. Scotland is stunningly beautiful. The highlands are the gem in Britain’s crown and to miss the opportunity to visit this region would be a crime. Even if you’re not into walking, just drive around and you’ll see what we mean.

Edinburgh is the obvious location to stay over when visiting Scotland, with its historic castle and the wondrous Arthur’s Seat looming over the greystone townhouses that make up the city centre. It might rain, but hey, who cares!

A Celtic Tour

Visitors to Wales will usually head straight to the mountains and Snowdonia offers some dramatic and eye-popping scenery for anyone looking for walking, climbing or even Skiing opportunities.

As well as the mountains, Wales has some adorable coastal towns, such as Tenby, St David’s and Mumbles. All of these can be incorporated into your itinerary as each is so very different from the next. Around Mumbles is the beautiful Gower Peninsula, which boasts some of the UK’s best and most secluded beaches. If you are lucky enough to be in South or West Wales on a warm sunny day – head to the beach, as it won’t be crowded!

Cardiff and Swansea are both major cities on the Southern Coasts of Wales, each offering plenty for visitors. Cardiff has a thriving nightlife scene and is a popular destination for shopping and big ticket concerts. Swansea is a smaller city with a recently rejuvenated waterfront area, complete with the incredible National Waterfront Museum, which celebrates the role the water has played in South Wales over the years.

Windsor Great Park makes Telegraph’s best winter walks list

Posted: Mon 21 January 2019 at 14:50

The Telegraph newspaper has listed Windsor Great Park, along with the Magna Carta Memorial at Runnymede as one of the top 25 winter walks in the UK.

The new list encompasses the entirety of the UK and includes some of the most dazzling locations for walks on crisp clear winter days. The newspaper described the Great Park’s Long Walk as a ‘great sweep of an avenue lined with horse chestnut and plane trees.’ It goes on to guide walkers up to Snow Hill and onto the Copper Horse statue.

The Telegraph includes an interesting detail about the Great Park’s Snow Hill, as being the location from which Henry VIII waited to hear of Anne Boleyn’s execution, which he himself had ordered.

The guide then advises walkers to exit the park at Bishopsgate before ‘looping round to the Runnymede memorials’ and returning to Windsor via Old Windsor and Datchet. The start and finish point of the walk is the Two Brewers pub, on Park Street in Windsor town centre, one of the very best historic pubs in the area.

Elsewhere on the list were beautiful walks taking in some of the UK’s most heritage-rich locations. These include Blenheim Palace’s Great Park, Chequers and Stonehenge. There are also walks around the regions that inspired literary greats like Charlotte Bronte and Beatrix Potter, as well as artists like Constable.

What’s in store for visitors to the UK in 2019?

Posted: Sat 12 January 2019 at 13:58

Visitors to the UK will be treated to a range of events and activities over the coming year. Here, we round up some of the best cultural events taking place around the UK in the first half of 2019 – many of which you can visit from your base at one of our central Windsor serviced apartments.

JANUARY

January is the month when we are all returning to work after the Christmas break. As in many other Western countries, this is a quiet time of year, when people are often feeling the financial pinch a little too much. However, this doesn’t mean there’s no time at all for fun. Particularly if you’re Scottish….

Burns Night

25th January – throughout Scotland

Burns Night is a celebration of everything to do with the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Born 260 years ago this year, ‘Robbie’ Burns is the National Poet of Scotland and throughout Scotland, people partake in music, dancing, drama and poetry before sitting down to a celebratory dinner of haggis with ‘neeps and tatties’, not forgetting a few drams of whisky of course!

Skating at Somerset House – London

You can enjoy the outdoor ice skating at London’s iconic Somerset House well into the month of January. Bring your warm clothes and enjoy the opportunity to skate around the majestic and historic courtyard. Legendary London department store Fortnum and Masons sponsor the event and provide high-end refreshments for anyone who can’t bare the idea of ice skating without champagne!

FEBRUARY

Things liven up a little more now that the light at the end of winter’s tunnel is just about visible. The days are a little longer and the daffodils and snowdrops are starting to peep through, lifting everyone’s mood and getting them excited about being out and about once more.

The Rugby Six Nations

Cardiff, London and Edinburgh 1st-16th February

The Six Nations is an annual Rugby tournament between England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France and Italy. Matches are played in Cardiff, Twickenham and Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.

Chinese New Year Parade – London

10 February

If you want to experience Chinese New Year in the most authentic and celebratory way outside of Asia, head to London’s China Town on 10th February. Hundreds of thousands of people line the streets and take part in the procession, which involves music, dancing, huge puppets and masks. Treat yourself to an authentic plate of noodles or dimsum afterwards!

London Fashion Week

From 16 February – London

It may not be for everyone, but those interested in fashion flock to the capital each February to get a head start on the next season’s trends. Catwalk show tickets are up for grabs and events and promotions take place all over the city involving hundreds of the best London clothes and accessories brands.

MARCH

March is when spring officially arrives and the odd day of sunshine brings British people out in droves. There’s plenty to keep visitors busy this month,

St Patrick’s Day

17th March – Northern Ireland and various locations around the rest of the UK

It’s not just the Irish who enjoy St Patrick’s Day. It’s interpreted among most people as the day when we are all given a license to drink a little too much and wear something green. Aside from that, though, are a number of fantastic parades, concerts and carnivals celebrating all thing Irish.

Kew Gardens’ Orchid Festival

Until 10th March – Kew, London

The world-class botanical gardens at Kew deserve their reputation as one of London’s top tourist attractions, and are easily accessed from Windsor. Now in its 24th year, the Garden’s annual Orchid Festival is celebrating the botanical wonders of Columbia this year, with greenhouses full of the country’s most beautiful flower specimens.

APRIL

Blossom covers the trees and the warmth of the sun takes everyone outdoors in April. Think pub gardens, riverside walks, and East Egg hunts.

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Grand National,
5 – 7 April , Liverpool

This four and half mile horse race is one of the most famous in the world. It involved 30 fences and is difficult for both riders and horses to even complete, let alone win. Putting a bet on the ‘National’ is popular in the UK, but in recent years the race has been called out for being too dangerous for the horses taking part. You can make up your own mind.

The Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race,

7th April, London, England

The annual rowing race between athletes attending Cambridge and Oxford Universities, is a very English site to behold. It takes place along the picturesque stretch of the Thames at Putney and was first raced in 1829. Nearly 200 years later, it’s fought with a rivalry just as bitter as it ever was.

London Marathon

28th April – London

Another sporting event that brings out the crowds in the Capital is the London Marathon. As one of the most famous marathons in the World, elite runners from around the world rub shoulders with charity runners dresses as elephants and giant babies. Some 40,000 entrants pound the pavements for 26 gruelling miles, while thousands of onlookers gather to cheer them on and soak up the uniquely uplifting atmosphere.

MAY

Chelsea Flower Show

21-25th May – London

This Royal Horticultural Show takes place each year at the Royal Hospital Chelsea and is viewed as a quintessentially English event. With incredible floral displays and beautiful gardening inspiration around every corner, visitors from all over the world flock to this stunning event.

The Royal Windsor Horse Show

8-12 May – Windsor

This premier horse show takes place in the private grounds of Windsor Castle itself, which makes it a highly popular event for horse lovers from across the globe. The itinerary also includes the highest levels of show jumping, dressage and carriage riding.

JUNE

As the summer gets underway, you can’t move for music festivals, family events, street parties and carnivals – especially within London and the other major UK cities.

Royal Ascot

18-22 June – Ascot

Many people attending royal Ascot, which is arguably the high point of the British racing calendar and the ‘season’ enjoyed by the British upper classes, choose to stay in Windsor, as it so close-by. The racing events take place over four days, including Ladies Day, which is an event favoured by the Queen who almost always finds time in her schedule to attend the racing at Ascot each year.

The Isle of Wight festival

13-16th June – Newport, Isle of Wight

This is one of the UK’s longest running music festivals, with its roots back in the late 1960s when thousands of young people fled to the island over three years running. In 2002, the festival was revived and it has been a big success ever since.

Windsor Great Park releases new group visitors guide

Posted: Wed 9 January 2019 at 11:59

If you’re thinking of visiting Windsor as part of a group this year, make sure you access Windsor Great Park’s brand new group visitors guide to the Savill Garden.

The Crown Estate itself has announced that a new group visitors guide will include lots of valuable information to help people get the very most from their trip to Windsor, and particularly to the Great Park and the Savill Garden.

The guide includes information on several special tours that groups can take part in. This includes the Royal Heritage Tour and The Savill Garden’, which involves a personalised coach tour of the Great Park. The statement says that the tour provides ‘the opportunity to be immersed in 1000 years of Royal History.’

It adds: ‘This limited availability tour allows visitors to understand how Windsor Great Park works in the modern day, as well as learning about its long history.’

Other ‘experiences’ for groups, which are detailed further in the new group visitors guide, include:

Windsor Castle and The Savill Garden
Frogmore House and The Savill Garden
The Royal Garden and River Boat Cruise – three options that include catering for you to choose from
Dorney Court and The Savill Garden

The guide also shows three rambling routes that groups of walkers can take use to get even more up close and personal with the Windsor countryside, each based around the Savill Garden.

The Garden has a recently built building at its heart, which embraces and complements the natural surroundings of Windsor Great Park. Inside you will find a range of excellent food and drink options as well as a popular gift shop. To find out more about the group visitors guide, visit www.windsorgreatpark.co.uk/groups

Our Guide to Visiting the UK at Christmas

Posted: Tue 4 December 2018 at 11:54

If you are visiting the UK at Christmas and are wondering what us Brits do at this wonderful time of year, look no further! We’ve put together this little guide just for you.

What do British people do at Christmas time?

The British Christmas is a hybrid of European and American approaches to Christmas. And we also have many traditions that are unique to us. We enjoy very traditional aspects of the typical European Christmas, like Christmas trees, Christmas markets and mulled wine. However, unlike much of Europe, we exchange gifts and eat our Christmas lunch on Christmas day itself, rather than Christmas Eve. We also eat an American-style Christmas lunch of turkey – but we finish it off with the uniquely British Christmas pudding!

As the big day itself approaches, anyone visiting the UK will have more than enough Christmas events to keep them busy. Let’s have a look at some of the most popular British festive pastimes.

Christmas fairs

From major cities to tiny villages across the UK, Christmas fairs will be held. Everywhere from school halls to exhibition centres will play host to these traditional fairs. A christmas fair is usually aimed at families and will involve games, competitions, activities and crafts. You might play games of skill to win sweets, or draw a ticket and see if you win a hamper of goodies (usually wholly useless, but hey, it’s Christmas!). Children may have their face painted or decorate a cookie. They’ll certainly eat their body-weight in sugar.

Fairs like these are popular and plentiful and usually raise money for local charities, so go along and do your bit to support them if possible.

Pantomime

The annual Christmas ‘panto’ is, perhaps, the most typically British of all Christmas traditions. These amusing and shambolic theatre shows are as popular as ever with audiences of all ages. They famously appeal to very small children (mainly due to a lot of falling over) while including enough tongue-in-cheek humour and popular culture references to keep the adults happy.

Going to see a pantomime as a non-British visitor will certainly be a eye-opener. There’s always a man dressed as a woman ( the ‘Dame’) and the audience are encouraged to shout at the actors. Give it a go!

One of the most-loved pantomimes in the South is at Windsor’s Theatre Royal. This year, it’s putting on Dick Whittington, featuring legendary children’s entertainers Basil British and Kevin Cruise.

Christmas markets

Many towns and Cities around the UK now host traditional European-style Christmas markets, complete with carols, mulled wine and traditional crafts. This is a relatively recent addition to our Christmas list of pastimes, but they are gaining popularity fast.

Here’s our choice of the best ones to visit this year:

Bath Christmas Market

You don’t need an excuse to visit the beautiful English town of Bath, but during the Christmas market season, the town is even more magical than usual. Craftspeople sell their wares from traditional Bavarian-style wooden cabins in the town centre and there’s plenty of delicious and warming snacks and drinks on offer too. This year, the market is only running until 9 December, so you will need to get there quick. For more details, check their website.

London’s Southbank

One of London’s must-visit areas for tourists is the South Bank of the Thames. Right outside the Royal Festival Hall this year is its annual Christmas market, bringing a taste of the Bavarian Black Forest to the capital. You can visit the market right up until 27 December, so there’s plenty of time to enjoy the festivities. Why not make a full day of it by taking in everything else the South Bank has to offer and walking all the way down to the Tate Modern for a touch of world-class modern art to top of your visit.

Edinburgh

For anyone visiting Scotland this Christmas, you’re in for a treat if you make your way to Edinburgh. The City is laying on a mountain of festive events, including a traditional Christmas market and funfair in East Princes Street Gardens.

Traditional pubs

Historic English pubs are simply enchanting at this time of year. You’ll never get a better taste of traditional Britain than when you snuggle up next to a roaring fire in an atmospheric beamed pub with a real ale, glass of wine, or hot chocolate. Check out our guide to the best Windsor pub to visit this Christmas.

Christmas shopping

Not exactly a tradition, but shopping is a necessity at Christmas. The British High Street is struggling to survive in the face of a growing reliance on online shopping but you’ll still see large numbers of panicked shoppers out and about in the days running up to Christmas, desperately trying to find that perfect gift or pick up their turkey and mince pies.

Food markets and farmers markets can be fantastic at Christmas time, with shoppers filling their baskets with produce straight from the grower or maker. Shopping at a traditional department store can also be a fantastic experience at Christmas. Windsor’s own Daniel department store offers a whole host of special events over Christmas and children can even visit Santa at his grotto in store throughout December.

Whatever you get up to when visiting the UK at Christmas, you’re bound to have a very merry time. If in doubt – just grab a mince pie and glass of something warming and you’ll find yourself very much in the British Christmas spirit!

What’s on in Windsor this Christmas?

Posted: Wed 14 November 2018 at 11:05

There’s nothing quite like getting involved in some Christmas events to get you into the spirit of the season. Here’s a quick round up of what’s on in Windsor over the coming weeks.

“He’s behind you!!”

Yes, that’s right, it’s panto season again and Windor’s very own Theatre Royal is celebrating 80 years of pantomime in the town with its version of Dick Whittington. Familiar faces such as Mike Read, Anne Heggerty and, of course, Basil Brush will be starring in this family favourite between 23 November and 6 January. That means there’s plenty of time to get your tickets and enjoy a touch of traditional English nonsense!

Windsor On Ice returns

This is the time of year that Alexandra Gardens turns into a Winter Wonderland, complete with children’s fairground rides, a large ice rink and traditional Bavarian-style Christmas snacks and drinks.

There will be mulled wine galore for the grown ups and enough candy floss to keep the kids buzzing until the 25th! Come along and enjoy the merriment from 17th November until 6 January.

Let there be light!

The annual Christmas lights switch-on in Windsor will be a spectacular event as usual. This year, the lights will be turned on on Saturday 17th November.

The highlight for most visitors will be the children’s lantern parade, which snakes its way through Windsor’s centre and up to the castle from 3:30pm. The event will climax in the switching on itself at 5:30, topped off with the impressive illumination of Windsor Castle’s Garter Tower.

Meet Santa at Daniel

Christmas in Windsor wouldn’t be complete without a trip to our historic department store, Daniel. This year, little ones can meet Santa at the store’s magical grotto every weekend day from 17th November. The grotto will also be open every day in the lead up to Christmas from 17th December. The price for a visit with Santa is just £7 and this includes a gift from the man himself!

And for the crazy…I mean sporty…among you…

Ever wanted to dress up as Santa and run around Windsor town centre with a bunch of other people dressed as Santa? Well here’s your chance. And it’s all for a good cause!

The Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Santa Dash is taking place from 9am on 25th November, from Bachelor’s Acre. It will take in the Long Walk, the Castle area and the shopping streets. Children are welcome to take part in the 5km fun run and the price of entry includes your very own Santa suit!

UK tourism to thrive despite Brexit challenges

Posted: Fri 9 November 2018 at 11:00

UK tourism is going to thrive despite Brexit, claims Michael Ellis, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism.

Writing an opinion piece in the City AM newspaper, the MP said that the World Travel Market, held in London earlier this month, was a fantastic success. He added that deals worth some £3 billion were thought to have been made there.

Ellis wrote: “We have so much to offer international visitors – beautiful landscapes, world-class culture, and unique heritage sites. We are a global country, and have always been a must-visit destination. We are a global country, and have always been a must-visit destination.”

He explained that he expects UK tourism to continue to thrive despite our exit from the European Union. He pointed out that three quarters of the visitors to the UK in 2017 came from EU member states. Maintaining a good relationship with the EU following Brexit makes sense not just for the UK, but also for other countries who benefit from our tourism Euros, he added.

The World Travel Market saw London’s Excel host some 5,000 travel companies from all over the World between 5 and 7 November. “It has been a great opportunity to show buyers that our destinations, products, and services are worth investing in, and that the UK is, and will continue to be, fully open for business,” said Ellis.