The Long Walk Windsor

The Long Walk Windsor

From the Castle gate to the foot of the statue of King George III (The Copper Horse) The long walk measures 2.64 miles in length. So a run there and back is a great distance for joggers and is a very popular route for walkers too.

Snow Hill, as the legend has it, was where King Henry VIII sat and waited for news of the execution of his second wife, Queen Anne Boleyn. However, the path as we know it only came into being during the reign of King Charles II who had double rows of Elm trees planted the entire length of the route. There were 1,652 trees planted to create the basis of the landscape we know today. Charles had previously spent time at Versailles and wanted to remodel Windsor in a similar flamboyant  style. The Long Walk was just one aspect of his improvement plans.

Later in 1710 Queen Anne had a road constructed down the centre of the tree lined avenue so that coaches could head out into the park on a comfortably smooth surface. A little way down from the Castle,  the Long Walk is crossed by the Albert Road (A308) to old Windsor. Cars often slow to a walking pace to enjoy the views in both directions.