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Windsor Great Park
Hi all -
Does anyone know if you are allowed to run in Windsor Great Park after dark?
I have been told twice this week, by the park wardens, that its not allowed.
I'll be really fed up if I can't run there after dark, because at this time of year that is pretty much the only time of day that I can run. Plus I have been running there at night time for years now!
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There is a statement on The Royal Landscape website that says the park is open from 7am until dusk:
http://www.theroyallandscape.co.uk/thingstoseeanddo/walking-and-running.cfm
Thanks both of you.
I wasn't just talking about the deer enclosure - I was told the whole park was closed to runners.
It looks like I can't run there after dark then. I had wondered if it was just the wardens being over enthusiastic!
The roads are open to traffic throughout the night, as people live there. And the residents are allowed to walk around at night of course, so presumably they could run around as well. I am not sure how the wardens would know if you were a resident or not.
None of the gates are locked at night and as I say I have been running there for years at night without a problem, but maybe the wardens have just started to enforce a rule that already existed.
Oh well, rules is rules I suppose!
Got to say we're so lucky to have somewhere like Windsor Great Park so nearby to run in.
Hi there... I'm not sure whether you are allowed to or not, but I do - and if I see a warden I give a cheerful wave! I did notice the other morning the gates at the castle end of the Long Walk were shut with a sign saying something like they open in daylight hours, but that's the town end and presumably to stop the customers of the Two Brewers turning out, turning left and attempting to bother HRH to use the loo on the way home.
Saying all that, one of my worst runs was just after a WHM one autumn early one sunday morning in thick thick fog I ran right into a load of deer and pulled a hamstring as I tried to run away from them.
MathewTickle -
I often used to see wardens when I was running and they always used to ignore me - only in the last week or so have they started telling me I shouldn't be there after dark.
The best policy with deer is just to ignore them - they always keep their distance honest.
Incidentally I heard that there used to be a security issue in the park and they were on the look out for terrorists camping overnight. It was nothing to do with Windsor Castle. They believed - apparently - that terrorists might use surface to air missiles to shoot down low flying aircraft flying over the park from Heathrow!
Hi Kryten, yes, usually I am ok with deer, it was just running into a bunch looming out of the pea soup was rather odd.
You are correct re the security issue - we live in west of windsor and we had the security forces out in high vis cars/jackets patrolling the grass verges around that time (a few years ago when there were tanks at LHR etc).
I'll look out for you in park - I'll be plodding around on early Sun morning trying to break 14 miles as part of my FLM training regime, never been over 13.1 before! That's a bit dicey as I accidentally on purpose run through a private bit of the park... that's another story.
When we're running as a group we tend to start at the Stag Meadow football ground, then run along the cycle track to enter the Park through Ranger's Gate. We then go past The York Club and the Royal School to the polo grounds. Then you have options to get you to Savile Gardens - for 9 miles turn left before crossing the polo grounds, for 11 miles cross the polo grounds then turn left past the polo club house, and for 14 miles cross the polo ground and continue down the hill and round Virginia Water and back to Savile Gardens. From Savile Gardens it's along Rhododendron Walk to Bishopsgate, then round past The Copper Horse, out of the park through Ranger's Gate and back to Stag Meadow. It's a good route with a couple of decent hills fairly early on, although if you run it in reverse you get a kick in the tail with the hills nearer the end.
Here's a link to the 14 mile route: http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/windsor,-berkshire/217317870
Hi there Beware of the Fish, thanks for the route, I will try that this sunday, as long as the snow is not too deep.
Which group do you run this route with, can anyone tag along? And if so, how fast do you a 14miler in?