The Three Castles Path - Day 1

On Saturday 21^st February 2026, it appeared that finally there would be a break in the forever rain of winter.  River walks were not going to be an option, with all the flooding we have had, and it was too early to return to the Ridgeway with the slip risk of wet, sticky chalky ground.  I desperately needed a goal and so it was that my hiking buddy, Michala, and I ventured out along The Three Castles Path.  It made sense to do a walk that does not involve lengthy car journeys, and with this walk passing through my local town it seemed the obvious choice.   

I have found myself on stretches of the Three Castles Path in the past.  Now it was time to join the dots and discover new places between the familiar spots. 

We set ourselves a target of 10.5 miles from Windsor to Swinley Park so I parked up in a residential area just outside of Swinley Park and then Michala’s husband dropped us in Windsor. 

We were dropped off at Bachelors Acre which, in the Middle Ages was a designated area for ‘ordinary townsfolk’ to meet and revel.  Quite why Rich thought it appropriate for us ‘extraordinary ladies’ to be ‘dumped’ here I can not imagine.  However, it has to be said that we did revel in the joy of seeing ‘The Windsor Lady’.

Of course, in true style the packet of shortbread, that is ever present on our hikes, came out of Michala’s rucksack and we relished in its buttery richness, fuelling for the miles ahead.

The Windsor Lady

I cannot go to Windsor without thinking of our beautiful Queen.  The emotion of it all runs deep as it triggers memories of the day I parked up in Alma Road, and speed walked to King George IV’s gate to leave flowers in honour of the memory of Queen Elizabeth II.   Here, in Bachelors Acre, the sight of Queen Elizabeth in her headscarf, surrounded by her corgis warmed our hearts with love.  The bronze memorial marks the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee.  This was the unofficial start to our walk along the Three Castles Path. 

We made our way up to the official start point – Windsor Castle.  The TCP guidebook claims that Windsor Castle is reputed to have been King John’s favourite residence.  I do believe it was also Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite but King Charles prefers Clarence House.  That said, judging from the Royal Standard visible above the Round Tower, it was evident that the King was at home. 

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world.

Our guidebook took us on a walk around the block, from King Henry VIII’s gate along the cobbled streets with chairs outside the coffee shops awaiting the coach loads of tourists who would arrive throughout the day.  Already the gift shops were open and the stands stacked with postcards, fridge magnets and flags. 

The closest we were going to get to the changing of the guards was the baskets of guards standing to attention waiting to be snatched up - but not by us.  The changing of the guards would commence 2 hours hence, at 11am, by which time we hoped to be well on the path to Winchester.

We followed Queen Charlotte’s Street, said to be the shortest street in Britain, passing Market Cross House which looked like it had been on an all-nighter across the way at the Carpenters Arms.  Apparently, this house was demolished in 1687 to accommodate the building of the Guildhall.  However, finding there was a preservation order on the building it had to be rebuilt.  Unseasoned green oak wood used in the timbers caused the building to warp into its wonky state.  However, it still stands with an inebriated demeanour to this day. 

The Long Walk

Having ‘walked the block’ we headed down Park Street to the George IV Gateway to follow the Long Walk to Snow Hill.  This 2.6 mile walk stretched out before us leading all the way to the bronze statue of King George III, known to most as The Copper Horse. 

This is a popular walk for dog walkers and joggers as we found.  We walked at a pace to distance ourselves and enjoy the atmosphere on this pleasant morning after so many months of rain and mud. 

Either side of the walk is flanked with horse chestnut trees which look particularly splendid in the autumn but today, despite their nakedness created a glorious avenue, their colour harmonising with the stone of the castle, creating a sense of peace and calm away from the turmoil the Royal Family must be under right now.    

Snow Hill

All the while, walking along this Long Walk, the Copper Horse and his rider beckoned us, like some Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius himself, with his unquestionable wisdom.  Was it not Marcus Aurelius who said “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts”?  At this moment in time, we could not have been happier to be out in the fresh air without battling against rain. 

We sat at the foot of, not Marcus Aurelius but King George III mounted on his horse, looking victorious whilst dressed in Roman attire, his head adorned with a laurel wreath symbolising triumph and victory.  We too felt triumphant having completed the first stage of the Three Castles Path. 

This ‘Copper Horse’ is in fact bronze, made from 25 tons of melted down cannons donated by the Duke of Wellington.  The statue is covered in verdigris giving it that lovely green colouring. 

We looked down the long stretch back to our start point and enjoyed the solitude in a place I have normally found heaving with Instagrammers and selfie sticks. 

The Deer Park

We sheltered from the wind, snacking whilst checking the way forward along the second stage taking us from Snow Hill to the Golden Gates.   When suitably refreshed we continued behind the statue, along the edge the deer park.

As if on cue, just beyond the statue, Michala spotted the white tail of a little muntjac among a small clump of trees and tangled briars.  We flushed him out as she walked anticlockwise and I clockwise around the clump. He went bounding across the open ground, undeservedly evicted, and moved into another area of woodland. 

It was there we thought we had walked in on a stag party.

We found the red deer browsing on the hillside above Royal Lodge.

We found a place of refuge above the lodge and wondered if this might have been Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s new home since his recent eviction – far too good for him if proven guilty. 

The latest news was much in our minds and particularly when we followed the path down the hill to be faced with a padlocked gate.  We instantly blamed said person.  However, I have since discovered that this path is often closed off in the winter as it gets quite flooded.  Certainly, it was proofing to be very boggy judging from the state of my walking boots.

We looked across at All Saints Chapel in the grounds of Royal Lodge.  The Queen Mother frequented the chapel when she was in residence at the lodge and then her coffin stood before the alter before lying in state at Westminster Hall.  This pretty chapel is Grade II listed. 

We looked to King George and he was pointing us in a different direction. 

We found our way alongside the ancient oaks, some of them laden with mistletoe.  Momentarily, as I stood below the mistletoe Michala worried that I had got the wrong idea.

We stepped aside as we smelt the warm musky scent of horses trotting by, the smell calming us as we checked and double checked our ‘reroute’.  We were still blaming AM-W for the padlocked gate and we were worried that the Ascot Gate, for which we were headed, might also be closed on account of William and Kate’s move to Forest Lodge.  We realised that perhaps a guidebook published 40 years ago might not be entirely reliable. 

We breathed a sigh of relief when we eventually left the relatively manicured landscape of Windsor Great Park to cross over the road and enter a tree tunnel between hedgerows and alongside pastures where Canadian geese, greylags and Egyptian geese grazed. We took a left along a concrete road, just down from Sunninghill Park, another royal residence. 

We followed the path through the woodland, making a short diversion to Great Pond along muddy, boggy, slippery forest paths.  At Great Pond we had hoped to find a bench on which to sit and eat lunch but none was visible. 

However, having returned to the main path, not much further on route we finally found a comfortable bench.  As we finished our lunch and donned our rucksacks, I saw that the bench was dedicated to RBWM Lottery and wondered what their narrative was.  Did they love walking as much as we.  I felt idiotic (quite rightly) when Michala tittered and enlightened me that RBWM Lottery was in fact the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Lottery fund.  Of course it was.  We continued along accompanied by Michala’s chuckling. 

The Golden Gates

Fortunately, not much further on she was distracted by the impressive Golden Gates with the royal crest sitting central stage, the lion and the unicorn above it on the gate posts.  This impressive gate used to be the entry point for the royal party in their landaus on their way to Royal Ascot, taking them along the original old straight mile.  However, these gates are no longer used as it is not visible from the stands.  It transpires that the white gates we saw where we had lunch is now the entry point giving those on the stands a clear view of the approaching royal party.    

There was no one to view us from the stands or cheer for us today.  The racecourse was empty with not a soul in sight and no scent of horses or sound of pounding of hooves. 

We crossed Ascot Heath looking at the impressive stands which were rebuilt in 2004.  The racecourse dates back to 1711 when it was founded by Queen Anne.  

Personally, I was amazed to find that there is a cricket pitch and a golf course on Ascot Heath with the racecourse running around it.  However, there is the space with the racecourse covering 179 acres. 

Englemere Pond

From Ascot Heath we crossed over the road into familiar territory.  We cut through a hedge and into Englemere Pond (not literally – our feet would have got very wet).   We took the path around the north side of the pond to be greeted by an unusually curious coot – perhaps thinking we were going to stop and feed him.  We did stop for a chunk of shortbread, selfishly keeping it to ourselves. 

We were quite fatigued at this point but we knew the end was not too far ahead.  The scent of  the scotch pines filled our nostrils and the sight of the water brought a further sense of calm.  We walked along the familiar path soft and bouncy from the layers of compacted pine needles. 

From Englemere Pond we had to negotiate a short stretch of the road with no pavement and with limited visibility on account of the humped bridge over the railway.  However, we remained vigilant for this short stretch and walked briskly (or at least Michala did while I had to stop and take a photo over the bridge at the train tracks).  We entered Swinley Park with a sense of relief.

Swinley Park

Swinley Park is part of Swinley Forest but the quieter part, away from the Lookout and the majority of visitors.  It is a working forest with an ever changing landscape.  So, whilst I often walk in this area, I was still glad of my OS Maps to help me navigate. 

The paths were scarred by deep mud tracks imprinted with the thick tyres of trucks used to transport logs as the Crown Estate is carrying out major tree felling. 

We were starting to slow our pace, tired from the day’s walking.  That final mile was a struggle but we were grateful to be among the trees. 

It was at this point I realised I had lost my hat.  The day was warm so we did not need our normal layers.  Fortunately, Michala had evidence, in a photo, of me in possession of the hat whilst at Englemere Pond.  We kept going but agreed, at the end of the walk, to drive back to Englemere Pond in search of my much loved hat.  After 13.24 miles we were back at the car.   We flopped, exhausted but high from a sense of achievement.

Imagine my pleasure when I found this warm fleecy head gear sitting on a post just beyond the carpark.  (Well you can see for yourself).  We had expected to have to walk the length of the pond and we really did not have the energy reserves, but there is was waiting for me.  I will never know who placed it in sight for me but thank you whoever you are.  You made me very happy.