Ascot to Windsor, via Valley Garden, Windsor Great Park

April 30:  After cooking breakfast in our flat, we hustled to a local bus stop to catch a 20 minute ride to Ascot.  Our plan was to walk through Ascot, over to Virginia Water, visit Valley Garden and then walk back to Windsor and our flat.  We did it - just under 11 miles.

We joined a clutch of elderly women for the bus ride to Ascot, which worked well.  We got off at the train station and walked a quarter mile back to the High Street (there is one of these in every town) and the race course.  The track has a triangular layout with a couple of extensions heading off from the corners.  There is a very grand, multi-level stadium or stands - see photo.  You can imagine where the Queen and other Royalty have boxes.  Royal Ascot is in June so we will have to miss it - we don't have the proper clothes nor any "fascinators."

Two furlongs from the finish line

Betsy and I walked along the side of the track that parallels the stadium, going all the way out one of the track extensions.  The track actually passes over a rather busy road in this corner.  We walked down an broad, grass path to a very fancy, old iron gate.  We imagined it was the route used by the Queens, etc. to reach the stadium.  While the gate is not far from Windsor Great Park, there is still a ways to go before one gets onto what is now royal land.



We went directly to the north side of Virginia Water where a public garden, known as Valley Garden, is located.



We wandered around on various "colored" paths, admiring the many rhododendrons, azaleas and a few other trees/bushes that were blooming.  There is a large collection of trees from around the world, too;  all of the identification tags gave scientific names only.  While we knew Acer, Quercus, and Magnolia, we looked up a few others - Sorbus, Alnus, Betulus, and Davidia.  These are Mountain Ash, Alder, Hornbeam, and Handkerchief or Ghost, respectively.

We went back through a heather garden to exit toward the Guards Polo grounds.  We tried to look around some here but were shooed away since we weren't members.  Prince Philip is the president of the Board for the club.  There were to be 3 matches this afternoon on adjacent fields and while we could see horse vans and shelters, there was no other sign of activity.

We marched on across the great park along tracks to Snow Hill, the southern terminus of the Long Walk.

George III on Snow Hill (horse name unknown)

We have now done the Long Walk in both directions.

The Long Walk to Windsor Castle

Lots of families were out with their dogs.  We watched a dachshund scampering around sniffing the grass after repeatedly demanding his owner throw a ball.  His tail wagged at lightning speed and he must have covered 5 to 10 times the distance his humans walked.  The weather is still a bit chilly, especially when the sun is blocked by clouds and the wind is blowing.