The Best Day Out at Virginia Water Lake

So, you’ve read the trip advisor reviews and now you’re digging a little deeper to see if you should plan a day out at Virgin Water Lake, within Windsor Great Park, in Surrey. The short answer is yes, you should. Virginia Water is full of great wildlife, beautiful flowers and grounds that are great to visit all year round, and the huge lake that you can walk around to enjoy even more beautiful views. A quick google search will tell you that the cascade waterfall is a definite favourite feature of the park. That may be true, but there is so much more to see when you visit Virginia Water. 

Where is Virginia Water?

There are many different car parks with Windsor Great Park, but if you want to visit Virginia Water then you should use the postcode GU25 4QF for the nearest car park. It’s about a 20-minute drive from Windsor and is accessible from Junction 13 via the M25. 

Parking at Virginia Water

There are parking spaces along the road as you drive up to Virginia Water car park, but they fill up early so if there are no spaces there (which are free) then you will have to park in the car park. The car park is quite big and we didn’t have any problems finding a space when we arrived midday. Parking is quite dear, at £3 per hour. After 3 hours, parking is £12. 

Cascading Waterfall at Virginia Water Lake

When you arrive you will have the choice of going left or right. If you want to see the Waterfall first, then definitely walk towards the left. You will follow a paved footpath for about 10 minutes before you arrive at the Waterfall. Coming from Canada, I found the Waterfall slightly underwhelming, but that being said it really is beautiful and a great opportunity for a ‘selfie’ photo-op! 

Ruins in the Great Windsor Park

The ruins will catch you by surprise as you walk around Virginia Water lake in the Great Windsor Park. I thought that they had been there for thousands of years but in actual fact, they didn’t actually get put there until the 1800s. You will see informative signs and be able to read about how the ruins were named the Temple of Augustus after King George IV. In fact, King George IV’s architect constructed the folly and it turns out that it was strictly decorative on the grounds! As a result, it was never actually lived in. If you’re lucky and visit Windsor on a clear day, you can definitely spot the Roman ruins in the distance. 

Walk around Virginia Water Lake

If you stay on the paved path, it is 4-5 miles to walk along the lake. You can also venture off into the gardens and other footpaths. Don’t forget to stop for a hot drink or an icecream along the way! There are many coffee vans along the paths. 

Explore The Valley Gardens

We went in late Spring when the Spring flowers were transitioning to the summer flowers. No matter what time of year you visit there are always lovely blooms. We read that the Daffodil Valley is beautiful to see in early spring! 

Totem Pole

Lastly, the totem pole. You will spot the totem pole as you walk along the path, around the Virginia Water Lake. As you approach the 100-foot totem pole you will be able to spot the 10 characters that are dispersed throughout the totem pole. It’s a great spot to stop and for the children to enjoy! 

You can read more about Windsor Great Park here.

Virginia Water Lake is a great place for a family day out to enjoy a picnic, a nice walk and admire the beautiful flowers. The Great Windsor Park is so big that if you’re still wanting to see more you can walk to the Deer Park as well, which eventually leads into Windsor. So pack a picnic and enjoy the beauty that surrounds the lake!

Enjoy your day out! Let me know in the comments below what you thought of Virginia Water within the Great Windsor Park.

Looking for other great England destinations? You can read some of my bucket list destinations on my blog post, England Bucket List!