Windsor and Royal Borough are open for business

Windsor and the Royal Borough (Berkshire, England) are very much open for visitors despite the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the neighbouring county of Surrey and there is still a huge amount to enjoy. Almost all of the attractions, including Windsor Castle, Eton College and Legoland, are fully open and have no restrictions.

The Windsor Festival, which will be taking place between 16 and 30 September, is continuing as planned with just a change of venue for two events and two walks being rescheduled after the festival.

Less than 30 miles west of London, the Royal Borough has something to suit most interests and age groups, from history, heritage and the arts to designer shopping, fine dining and luxury spas plus an enormous choice of places to stay with superb hotels, riverside retreats and country inns.

The historic town of Windsor has been associated with English monarchy for nearly a thousand years with each successive sovereign leaving their mark. Perhaps the best known attraction is Windsor Castle, one of three official residences of HM The Queen and the largest inhabited castle in the world covering some thirteen acres.

Visitors can learn about the town’s history and its royal connections by following the Heritage Walking Trail, described in the Royal Borough’s free visitor guide, or pick-up a self-guided tour of Windsor from the Information Centre, which is located in the old booking hall in Windsor Royal Shopping centre.

Other attractions around Windsor and Eton welcoming visitors include City-Sightseeing open top bus tours; French Brothers Thames riverboat trips and Eton College, which was founded by Henry VI in 1440 to provide accommodation for 70 poor scholars and now offers afternoon guided tours from April to October. Orchard Poyle offer horse-drawn carriage rides and, until 30 September, visitors can take a ride on the 180ft diameter Windsor Wheel in Alexandra Gardens, beside the river. For the evening’s entertainment there are 16 different types of cuisine from which to choose plus a lively programme of productions at the Theatre Royal.

There is also a varied choice of places to visit around the Royal Borough including the recently-refurbished Stanley Spencer Art Gallery at Cookham; the Magnet Leisure Centre and eight-screen multiplex Odeon cinema at Maidenhead and Legoland theme park which offers a great day out with over fifty interactive rides, open until 3 November.

As a precautionary measure, Windsor Great Park and Savill Garden have been closed to visitors for a minimum of 14 days (from 12 September). This also includes the Savill Building, Virginia Water, Valley Garden, all car parks within Windsor Great Park and part of the Long Walk from Albert Road to the Copper Horse (the section from the Copper Horse to the gates of Windsor Castle remains open). All events within Windsor Great Park have been cancelled which include the National Carriage Driving Championships (14 – 16 September), the Windsor Half Marathon (30 September) and all Guards Polo Club matches; also cancelled is the bus service from Windsor Town centre to Savill Garden.

Further details about the Royal Borough can be found on Windsor.gov.uk.

The web site, Windsor.gov.uk will also contain regularly updated foot and mouth advice outlining what visitors can do in the Royal Borough plus any restrictions.