L2L Day 16 Guildford to Windsor - 12.5 miles

To make today's distance manageable, I'd decided to take a train a few miles North and start the walk from Martin's Heron. (No I'd not heard of it before either but it did mean I could avoid various army camps, 'danger areas', Sandhurst, Farnborough airport and the Royal Military Academy training grounds.


Nonethelss, I had a 7.30 breakfast and enjoyed Guildford in the quiet morning.


At the station there was a really good art exhibition by Art ensure Trust - a charity that provides visual art sessions for adults with learning difficulties or physical challenges.

No sooner had I started walking I came across the first intimidating gate and sign - fortunately this one in to Swinley Forest was open.


The route led directly on to Ascot Racecourse.


No racing today but lots of dog walkers and happy dogs.


I took a swift peek at the royal box and final half furlong.


Having then walked the length of the back straight, unfortunately the path then led to the first of the day's frustrations. Locked gates to Windsor Great Park and signs insisting that access was only allowed to permit holders. There was a telephone number for the Rangers at The Savill Garden but after being on hold for a number of minutes I decided I'd better walk around the perimeter.

As luck would have it, the route took me across paddocks and through stables to the The Duke of Edinburgh (who better) 


- where I licked my wounded pride and enjoyed a half of Arkells 3Bs - to be recommended! Every cloud...!

The advice from two lunchtime drinkers (I should have known!!) was to look for holes in the fence and get in to the park anyway.
This was easier said than done with long stretches of deer fencing and 8ft gates.

I walked a mile or so along the grass verge to the B383 and then the A332 before eventually climbing over a convenient low point in the fence. I was in!!!


I disturbed some Muntjack deer and saw some rather calmer red deer nearby


and watched red kites soaring above the trees.

Fearing that at any moment I might get shot or at least hollered at by a passing park ranger, eventually Windsor castle hove into view on the horizon 


so I stopped and enjoyed a thermos of coffee with some delicious Montezuma chocolate that Mark and Lettie had kindly put together as a red cross parcel for moments of extremis. 

Morale rapidly restored I continued towards The Long Walk - a straight tree-lined drive, almost 3 miles lingwith views of the castle. Meanwhile listening on my new ear-buds to Brothers Karamazov : The passage of a soul through the Torments!!! Brilliant - a great way of passing three miles


and at Sally's colleague, Julie's suggestion, on arrival at Windsor, I celebrated with a swift but significantly deserved half at The Two Brewers.




My apparel for the day taken as a reflected shop - window selfie.


Accommodation is in the middle of the town close to the castle. 


The Two Brewers was worthy of a revisit - which I did after supper. Their own single malt, The Two Brothers - possibly a Talisker in disguise was definitely worth the visit.

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