Saturday morning in Windsor Great Park

Looking at the weather this morning it seems we are in for an afternoon shower. The morning sky was a little overcast but still relatively warm. So, following a cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon,and toast we all decided to go for a walk through the Windsor Great Park.

We jumped in the car around 9:30am and packed an umbrella and, of course, James' stroller. Looking at the map we decided to head for the Copper Horse. It is a statue of George III on horseback and was erected by his son George IV around 1830. This statue is clearly visible from Windsor Castle three miles away at the end of the long walk.

It's only a short drive to Rangers Gate on the A332. We were parked in about 5 minutes. Crossing the road we made our way into the park. The first thing you notice is the large expanse and the many oak trees. There are sealed gravel roads that make their way to The Village. This morning the few cars that passed us were towing horse floats. The park is very popular with those riding horses and ponies.

The roads are boarded by mown grass verges. Beyond, there are fields of grasses; most with spring flowers blooming. Of interest were traditional hedgerow fences. If you look at this photo you can see how the branches are woven to form the fence.

Shortly after passing the Royal Farm and village we crossed Queen Anne's ride. From this vantage we caught our first glimpse of Windsor Castle. Its was a spectacular view; framed by this wide grassy avenue. Queen Anne's ride dates back to 1708 and, like the Long Walk, is three miles long. I think it stretches almost to Ascot.

Beyond this avenue are a set of automatic gates. These, and its associated fence, enclose a large portion of the Great Park in which deer are kept. Not long after pasing these gates Merrilyn caught sight of a herd of deer standing under an oak tree on a rise above the road. They were all looking intently in our direction. I'm sure they are used to people and didn't seem too nervous. Apparently May is calving season so I guess I was expecting them to take off in a moment's notice.

Two ladies taking a walk stopped for a chat. They explained that during November, when the deer are rutting, the stags make loud calls for doe. Hmmm. November will be COLD. Maybe we can venture out to experience this for ourselves. They were on their way to the Savill Garden - again in the Park. Apparently the rodadendron are something to behold at the moment. There is only a short window when the're at their best so I think we'll make the trip soon.

We all walked together for another few hundred metres until we came across the Copper Horse on Snow Hill. We left James' stroller at the path and made our way up the hill - more like a mound. Standing at the statue you can imagine the view looking down the Long Walk all the way to Windsor Castle. There were bands of light moving across the landscape as the clouds started thickening. I was suprised to see another heard of deer moving across the Walk a few hundred metres from us.

As we were admiring the statue a group of horses cantered past heading for a wood. The park is popular with horses, walkers, the odd jogger, and bikes. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful place right on our doorstep. And I have to say, there is a little tingle when you look back at the Castle and think 'My home is just down there'!

We snapped a few more photos and then decided to wander back through the wood. James took off to chase some birds. His arms waving and bellowing! Just as we entered the wood we saw a squirrel cross the path and jump up an oak. And not a minute later we saw a pair of pheasants walking through the low bushes. Wow.

Just then it started raining. We were expecting it and out came the umbrella. It rained heavily for a few minutes- we decided to keep going. No sooner had it started then it stopped and the sun came out. Seems Melbourne is not the only place with changeable weather.

We were back at the car within about 20 minutes. I'm sure this will be the first of many trips to this area. An we're sure our visitors will equally enjoy the experience. I think we made the right choice with Windsor.

Here are all the photos from this morning.